The Often Overlooked Resource For Healing - The Internet
As we get more and more connected to one another, the internet becomes a powerful tool for health-care. Do you know how it has revolutionized the way diseases are diagnosed? How it's changed the face of doctor-patient relationships? Or how it's been able to help overcome poverty and bring all kinds of medical information right into your home? We've outlined just some of these benefits in our post "The Often Overlooked Resource For Healing - The Internet".
Within this blog post, we explore some ways that people can use the internet in their quest for good health. It can help you keep your medical records and contact info safe, access health tips and support groups, plus share the health information you find with others.
Read on to find out how this amazing resource has helped countless people change their lives for the better...
The World Wide Web weaves its way into our daily life more and more each day. It's part of our workday through the use of computers, it keeps us informed about current world events and big news stories, but most importantly it has changed the way we access medical information. People are now using the internet for all kinds of health care issues. Let's take a look at some examples.
According to the National Library of Medicine, one out of every two Americans own a computer. That's no surprise, but what is amazing is that 73% of American households have some sort of internet access. This means that the internet is now a very easy tool to use because almost everyone has the ability to connect to it. For example, when you're feeling ill you can click on your web browser and start reading up on your symptoms and what they might mean. You can even find out if you need a doctor's visit or if something simple like a cold will pass on its own.
So how has the internet changed the way doctors and patients interact? In a word, it's leveled the playing field. Doctors are no longer at the top of the food chain when it comes to medical information. In fact, many doctors are now getting their information right along with anyone else who might need it. For example, there is an amazing website called PubMed which collects information from more than 26 million journal articles that have been published in peer-reviewed journals throughout the world. This allows doctors and patients alike to have access to the most up-to-date and relevant medical information right at their fingertips.
Another great example of how the internet is helping bring health care into the home is the trend of patients sharing their medical information with one another. Each person has a different style and language to express themselves, but they all want to be taken seriously. On sites like Twitter and Facebook you can see people talking about their illnesses or recovery progress. It's completely different than when you're in a hospital waiting room getting your diagnosis on bad headphones and some old lady next to you will tell you not to bother taking your medicine because she doesn't like it anyway. The internet brings us together in a way that has never been done before. It's an invitation to share our health information and it's an opportunity for us as a collective to help one another.
Finally, some people need medical help and can't afford it. This is an unfortunate part of life, but there are organizations that are helping. For example, the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PRA) has been helping patients get the medications they need through their programs since 1969. Their goal is to make sure all people who have the ability to pay for their prescriptions have access to them. Some examples include: medication used for HIV/AIDS, cancer drugs, and arthritis medications. Another great source of information on prescription assistance is at the National Association of State Boards of Pharmacy website. There you can find a state by state listing of medical assistance programs.
So while the internet is an amazing source of health care, it's also something we should be aware of and be careful with. There are a few precautions to take as we delve into this wonderful resource:
1) Understand your doctor's perspective on this new phenomenon - Before going online to look up information, make sure that your doctor has given you their blessing. If they're not on board with the idea, then don't go there. Getting your doctor's permission is especially important if you're dealing with a serious and potentially dangerous disease like breast cancer or HIV.
2) Be careful about sharing your health information - This is an easy mistake to make, but something that can be very costly. There are some who try to profit from this by selling health tips or claiming to have the answers for your illnesses. As we said earlier, we all want to be taken seriously and should never feel pressured into sharing anything about our health care or medical information when we're not comfortable doing so.
3) Don't get too disconnected - You must always keep in touch with your medical providers because you need them to make sure you're okay. It's nice to know that health care is coming to you from the comfort of your home, but you should never stop seeing doctors when you need to.
4) Watch out for scams - As the internet becomes one of the largest sources of health care information, it also becomes a bigger target for criminals. They are ready to take advantage of your insecurities about your health by either stealing your personal information or just flat out trying to rip you off. Many people have fallen victim to scam artists on the internet, so watch out and be careful.
5) Use a reliable site - There are many sites on the web that do amazing things, but their information may not be as reliable as you would like. Let's say you use Google to find out the best way to treat a nosebleed. Then you go to the references section and click on those links. Why not just go to your doctor or call your family doctor instead? You can get more reliable and up-to-date information from an office visit than you can online. Just make sure that if you do decide to use a particular website for your medical needs, that it's well-known and does what it says it will do.
So the next time you want to access health care information, remember that it's here to help us all. Keep in touch with your doctor and take the time to find out what you need to know. It will help make sure you get the best treatment possible and keep you well as you go through life.
About The Author: Danette Fannon is a freelance writer and editor based in New York City. She joined Medical Bag in 2009, writing about topics ranging from cosmetic surgery to pet health care for their monthly magazine. You can find more of her work on her blog at http://danettefannonnyc.com/.
Conclusion:
The internet is an amazing resource and a great help for many. However, there are a lot of people who are flaunting their medical conditions and using it to get what they want. Be careful, because there are all kinds of ways that the internet can be used in unfortunate ways. It can definitely cause some problems and we don't want to get our information out to the wrong people.
So whenever you're looking for health care information online, make sure that it's reliable and you're getting it from the right source.