Now more than ever, patients have the opportunity to be more informed and take more initiative regarding their health. The wealth of information available online gives individuals the opportunity to understand their symptoms better and pay more attention to preventative care efforts without consulting their primary care physician. Here are three types of medical information resources:
1. Wikipedia does, in fact, provide reliable information regarding health information. Over half of the medical information on Wikipedia is written by health care providers. Additionally, if medical students and your doctor are using it, then the available information is indeed valuable. With all of the medical knowledge offered on Wikipedia, the Wikiversity Journal of Medicine provides more academic medical information for those who need it.
2. WebMD’s website delivers those without a medical background an organized and easily navigable website to provide information regarding a host of standard to serious medical ailments. Its symptom checker feature can give the necessary information to decide if it is appropriate to see a medical profession regarding your symptoms. Similarly, the Mayo Clinic provides a similar interface and intelligence like WebMD. But remember, take these websites suggestions with a grain of salt, because it will give you all possible diagnosis, and only your physician will be able to answer your questions for sure.
3. Government and international websites like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization for information regarding national or transnational medical concerns. Useful for researching critical diseases to healthy living tips, and international traveling planning to exotic destinations.