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You will learn how to find accurate health information online.

Evaluating Consumer Health Websites

1. Currency

• Look for a date the page was updated.  Is the date current enough to reflect the current information on the topic?
• Are links updated?

2. Author’s Qualifications

• Is the author clearly identified?
• Does the author have experience/expertise in the field?

3. Sponsorship

• Who sponsors the site?
• Is the site biased because of its sponsorship?
• Domain
• .com
• .gov
• .ed
• .net
• .org

4.  Accuracy/Content

• Is the information provided accurate? (helps to compare sites and compare information you are receiving to print sources)
• Is there a disclaimer?
• Is the site there for informational purposes or to sell a product or service?

5.  Ease of Use

• Is the site for healthcare professionals or consumers?
• Is the site laid out well and easy to navigate?

Medical Resource On the Library’s Web Page

• Go to the library’s homepage:  www.wrl.org
• Click on “Information Resources”
• Click on “Recommended Websites”
• Click on “Medical Resources”

Physician Directories

•    Virginia Board of Medicine   http://www.vahealthprovider.com/

•      Virginia Department of Health Professions  http://www.dhp.state.va.us.medicine/default.htm

MedlinePlus

•  Go to www.medlineplus.gov

•  Health Topics

•   Click on the “Health Topics” link

•   We are going to look for information about anemia

•   Click on the letter, “A”

•   Scroll down and click on “anemia”

•  Drug Information

•     Click on “Drug Information”

•     Click on the letter “p”

•     Scroll down to the drug, Procrit

•     Now try and find information on a drug of your choice

• Directories

• General Doctors and Dentists

• Specialists

•  Other Healthcare Providers

•   General Hospitals and Clinics

• Other healthcare facilities

•  Interactive Tutorials

•      Use animated graphics and sound to explain diseases, conditions, tests, diagnostic procedures, surgery and treatment procedures, and prevention and wellness.

•      Click on “Interactive Tutorials

•      Under Tests and Diagnostic Procedures, click on “MRI”

•       Click on “go to module”

•      Click on “start module”

•      Click on the green arrow to proceed through the slides

Health and Wellness Resource Center

•       Go to www.wrl.org

•       Click on “online databases” (btm right corner)

•       Click on “in library use” if you are in the library.  If you are at home     click on “at home use.” 

•       Click on “Gale Infotrac” and then click on “Health and Wellness Resource Center”  If you access the database from home, when prompted, enter all digits of your library barcode number

•      Health and Wellness Resource Center provides users with the following:

o      Medical Encyclopedia

o      Health Organization Directory

o      Health News

o      Drug and Herb Finder

o      Medical Dictionary

o      Alternative Health Encyclopedia

o      Health articles

MedlinePlus  

www.medlineplus.gov

NOAH

www.noah-health.org  

Senior Navigator

www.seniornavigator.com  

Mayo Clinic   

 www.mayoclinic.com

Healthfinder

www.healthfinder.gov

CPU: the central processing unit reads and performs instructions & stores information 

Internet: a diverse set of interlinked world-wide computer networks  

Monitor: an output device which displays information, it is similar to a television set  

Mouse: a hand held input device that allows users to point & click to make selections on the screen 

Ask a Reference Librarian

WRL computer volunteers: call 259-4050 for the latest volunteer schedule