June 18, 2009 at 1:26 pm (General)
Tags: Capital Area District Library, Consumer Health, Reference, technology
Did you catch this news item recently? 61% of adults look for health information online. This finding is from “The Social Life of Health Information” report issued by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project in partnership with the California HealthCare Foundation. The findings in the report are based on a national telephone survey conducted in 2008 of 2,253 adults. *E-patients is the term coined by the study team to describe this 61% group.
The study also states that these e-patients report increased interest in information about exercise and fitness as well as six other health topics that have been tracked in their surveys since 2002:
- A specific disease or medical problem (49% of adults, up from 36%)
- A medical treatment or procedure (41% of adults, up from 27%)
- Prescription or over-the-counter drugs (33% of adults, up from 19%)
- Alternative treatments or medicines (26% of adults, up from 16%)
- Depression, anxiety, stress or mental health issues (21% of adults, up from 12%)
- Experimental treatments or medicines (15% of adults, up from 10%)
What online tools are e-patients using? online news groups, websites, blogs, doctor/provider rankings, hospital/facility reviews, podcasts, listservs, group forums, and email updates, while less use is being made of social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.
Do online tools replace traditional face-to-face consultations with doctors and other care providers? No, but increasingly, they are a reputable, reliable, and respected tool in the pursuit of quality health care. Locally, the Capital Area District Library maintains “local links” on a variety of topics including Health, where you can connect to Mid-Michigan resources.
Leave a Comment
June 11, 2009 at 12:50 pm (General)
Tags: Capital Area District Library, Consumer Health, food, nutrition
Healthy living requires health eating, but healthy doesn’t have to be boring or plain. These healthy cooking titles have just been added to the collection at the Capital Area District Library and might help you satisfy your cravings for tasty cuisine or trying something new and exotic. Check these out:
Leave a Comment
June 9, 2009 at 4:26 pm (General)
Tags: Capital Area District Library, Consumer Health, exercise
I confess I don’t read Smart Computing magazine every month but fortunately one of my colleagues does and he pointed out that the July 2009 issue contains an article listing recommended health sites, blogs, and software. Browse Your Way to Better Health was compiled by Kris Glaser and includes: LiveStrong (www.livestrong.com) founded by cyclist Lance Armstrong; EatingWell (www.eatingwell.com), to make your diet healthier; KidsHealth (www.kidshealth.org) for teaching kids about healthy eating; NIH SeniorHealth (www.nihseniorhealth.gov) from the National Institutes of Health; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov) “…a limitless amount of information…”; and, Pets For the Environment (www.petsfortheenvironment.org) because healthy pets are important too.
You can read the entire article by visiting the Capital Area District Library in Lansing and search the library catalog for other health related magazines, books, and other resources.
Leave a Comment
June 1, 2009 at 2:55 pm (General)
Tags: Capital Area District Library, Consumer Health, exercise, Men, Men's health
Did you know that, on average, men are less healthy and have a shorter life expectancy than women? Part of the reason for this health gap is that we don’t take care of ourselves as well as women do. Men are more likely to engage in unhealthy behavior, and less likely than women to adopt preventive health measures. We’re also less likely to have health insurance, more likely to work in dangerous occupations, and often put off going to the doctor even when we really should go. As a result, men die younger—and in greater numbers—of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and many other diseases. In 1920, women outlived men by an average of one year. Today, that difference is more than five years.
“ There is a silent health crisis in America…it’s a fact that, on average, American men live sicker 
and die younger than American women.” Dr. David Gremillion, Men’s Health Network
Sobering information and exactly the reason that Men’s Health Month and the Men’s Health Network exist. Both offer .jpg)
extensive online information, resources and support as men and their loved ones and friends educate themselves about the health issues faced everyday. Locally, the Capital Area District Library has many books addressing men’s health topics. Try searching the catalog with keywords men’s health, or men – health & hygiene to find resources. We also subscribe to various magazines which can be checked out including – Men’s Health, Maximum Fitness, Prevention, Mayo Clinic Health Letter, and Consumer Reports on Health. These and others can be found in the library catalog by searching under “find magazines“.
Leave a Comment
