Get Medical Information
Getting correct medical information can be the difference between life and death. Maybe your problem isn't quite that severe, but you still need to know how to find proper information.
Contents
Steps
- Talk to a pharmacist. Contemporary pharmaceutical education makes pharmacists a proficient specialists in prescription and OTC medicines. Besides, pharmacists are used to serving customers, perhaps, more than any other member of a medical team, so their attitude will be mostly friendly, while the answers will be competent.
- Check Mayo Clinic. Their search offers access to a vast collection of up-to-date medical information.
- Consult a local physician or medical social worker. Even if you do not regularly see a doctor, many will be willing to share basic medical information with you and help you decide whether to schedule a visit.
- Your health insurance may provide free consulting by phone.
- Google your specific condition to find disease-specific information and support sites.
- Join a support group. Members often exchange valuable tips and experienced patients/caregivers can provide help and understanding.
- You can post specific queries to doctors or internet search experts at many sites. See external links below.
- Look up your prescriptions at sites like Drugs.com or RxList.com
- Look up your tests and understand why they were ordered at sites like Labtestsonline.org .
- Find systematic reviews and meta-analyses of clinical studies at the Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews (https://www.cochranelibrary.com/).
- Refer to guidelines.gov for the guidelines that doctors use to prescribe treatments.
- Visit MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine's award-winning consumer health information site (www.medlineplus.gov). This site will point you to many of the valuable resources described above -- it's one-stop information shopping!
Tips
- Always check the credentials of professionals/Web sites from whom you seek information.
- Don't panic over whatever you discover online. Double-check any important information with a specialist.
- When consulting with a doctor or physician about a medical problem you think you might have, be as detailed as you can be about your symptoms. This could prevent serious misdiagnosis.
- Remember, it's your right to seek a second opinion, even if the primary source of medical information is your own family doctor.
Warnings
- Never trust a source that is trying to sell you something. Sites that sell vitamins, herbal supplements, and other forms of un-established medical treatments should be avoided.
- "Natural" treatments can be very dangerous! Don't let the word "natural" trick you into thinking "safe".
- Herbal products often conflict with prescribed medications. Tell your doctor every herbal product and vitamin you take.
- More is not better. Never take any over-the-counter product (OTC) or prescribed medication at a higher dose without your doctor's approval.
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