HOW TO SEARCH ONLINE FOR RELIABLE HEALTH INFORMATION

Focus: Diabetes

Vasumathi SriganeshQMed Knowledge Foundation

info@qmedkf.org.in

DISCLAIMER

This talk will NOT include:

• Facts / teaching ‘about’ diabetes• Recommendations of good doctors / hospitals• Treatment options

It focuses on searching online for information about diabetes – the disease & related information

DO SHARE WITH US…

• How many of you use the Internet to seek health information about diabetes?

• What is your approach when you search?– Directly go to specific site/s?– Use search engines? – Which one/s?

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR

Finding professionals/institutions

Understanding diseases / conditions

CLASSIFYING RESOURCES

RECAP

THREE MAIN CATEGORIES

• Type – IBackground & factual information. Eg: Books / Textbooks, Dictionaries

• Type – IICurrent and past research. Eg: Journals, “Clinical trial websites”

• Type – IIIAnswers – for managing diseases / conditions

Eg: ‘Cochrane Summaries’

WEBSITES

Can be • Single type • Combination types

Learn to identify what type of information each website provides!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

MEDLINEPLUSTypes I and II (little of III)

www.medlineplus.gov

DEMO – Medlineplus – information on Diabetes

PUBMED HEALTH

Type I and III

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/

TYPE I

TYPE III

DEMO

• Diabetes Mellitus – PubMed Health– Combination of Types I and III

COCHRANE SUMMARIES

Type III

summaries.cochrane.org

DEMO

• Rosiglitazone

COCHRANE GROUP

• Experts from different medical fields– “Cochrane Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders Group”

• Cochrane Consumer Network

http://consumers.cochrane.org/

INDIAN RESOURCES

www.nhp.org.in

AYUSH RESEARCH PORTAL

Type II and III

ayushportal.ap.nic.in

DIRECTORY OF

INDIAN MEDICAL SITES

Type I

www.indianmedicalsites.in

PART IVFoundational Principles of

Searching

RESEARCH – BEST RESOURCES

• Type III (Cochrane summaries / PubMed Health)

• Type II - Journal articles –Best located through ‘PubMed’

www.pubmed.gov

SEARCH PRINCIPLE - I

‘Keyword searches’• Results – ‘contain’ the keywords• May / may not be about search term

SEARCH PRINCIPLES II & III

Databases like PubMed have ‘fields’ for every record• You can search for your keyword in ‘one or more

fields’

Often we search for more than one term. • We can combine searches using ‘AND’, ‘OR’ or ‘NOT’

USE OF AND, OR, NOT

Combining two (or more) terms with

• AND – Results must contain both (or all) terms

• OR – Results will contain any one or any combination

• NOT – Results will contain the first word but not subsequent word / words

SEARCH PRINCIPLE IV

• Every record in PubMed is ‘tagged’ with special keywords that ‘describe’ the article

• These keywords are called ‘MeSH’ terms• MeSH = Medical Subject Headings• Searching with MeSH terms gets maximum relevance

DEMO

• Diabetic retinopathy – prognosis• Diabetes – patient handouts

SEARCHING CORRECTLY

• Word search – presence of the word• Field search – presence of the search word in a

specific area• Combinations: AND, OR, NOT• Searching with MeSH = Maximum relevance

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

• Searching is a structured art and science• Know where to go

– Authentic resources – updated regularly• Search correctly• Evidence may/may not exist• Take your decision with your doctor, based on

“best available evidence”

OUR DREAM FOR CONSUMERS

Helping patients & their caregivers to seek reliable information and participate responsibly in health care decisions

HOW WE CAN HELP YOU

• Fact sheet – you will get one now

• Searching for specific needs– “I am 37 and wish to have a baby now. How safe is it”– “My doctor has given a choice of two chemotherapy drugs for my

mother. How do I choose”

– Consulting sessions to help you • Search and discuss with your doctor – but NOT • Medical advice – which your doctor will give you

www.qmed.org.in