September 10, 2009 at 12:21 pm (General)
Tags: cancer, Consumer Health, Michigan, Reference, technology
Lacks Cancer Center at Saint Mary’s in Grand Rapids is the region’s leading cancer center and the largest public cancer resource library in Michigan. The Warren Reynolds Library at the center provides free information on cancer and its related topics to anyone in Michigan. The library’s holdings include books, videos/DVDs, pamphlets, audio CDs, and educational software. An oncology trained medical librarian is on hand to assist in finding the best information and assistance is by phone, email, or fax. In addition, the library has a reading room, private study rooms, and computers with online access.
If you or a family member has questions about cancer, treatments, research, and other related topics, contact the library at 616-685-5150, Monday – Friday 8:30am -5:00pm.
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September 2, 2009 at 2:40 pm (General)
Tags: Consumer Health, Medline Plus, National Institutes of Health, National Institutes of Medicine, National Library of Medicine, Reference, technology
Here is a new health resources that offers a unique approach to sifting through the vast quantities of online medical/health websites and zeroing in on quality, authoritative, and reliable information. HealthBase is a (self 
described) research solution for healthcare powered by NetBase Solutions. It relies on “content intelligence technology”** to scour millions of documents to provide results in 4 areas – treatments for health conditions, causes of health conditions, complications of health conditions, and pros & cons of drugs, foods, chemicals and treatments. Answers are retrived from authoritative health resources including: PubMed, eMedicine, WebMD, Health Central, Mayo Clinic, Health Finder, and NetWellness.
** NetBase’s Content Intelligence Technology reads every sentence inside documents, linguistically understands the content and powers breakthrough search experiences that deliver highly relevant answers and insights. It’s the world’s only technology that can:
- Harness billions of documents
- Linguistically understand sentences
- Automatically find answers
NetBase is used by organizations that are recognized as global leaders in healthcare, consumer packaged goods, publishing, manufacturing, government and more.
Disclaimer: This Site Does Not Offer Medical Advice and Nothing in the Content Is Intended to Constitute Professional Advice for Medical Diagnosis or Treatment. The Contents on this Site is presented in a summary fashion with links to external health-related Internet Sites, and is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only.
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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.
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May 17, 2009 at 1:02 pm (General)
Tags: Consumer Health, food, National Library of Medicine, Reference
This week has been one when I’ve found all kinds of interesting info and sites which don’t fit into any specific category but which are just too good to pass up (in my opinion). So, this post is a “mental health day” – time off from whatever you’re working on, worrying over, planning for, thinking about, etc., to sit back and just read. Hope you find a useful nugget here.
- “Astronauts ‘Tweet’ from space.” (as reported on Yahoo! Tech) That’s right, one of the astronauts currently in space is using Twitter.com to communicate with us earthlings about the mission. Mission Specialist Mike Massimino can be followed at his Twitter account Astro_Mike. Mark Polansky, who will be the commander of the next planned space shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS), is giving updates on Twitter about his training for the scheduled June launch. Mark is Astro_127 on Twitter.
- 50 Best Food Blogs. The TimesOnline has a list of mouthwatering food blogs they recommend. Included are: Chocolate and Zucchini, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, and Souvlaki for the Soul.
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The
National Library of Medicine has created an online database of images from their
History of Medicine collection The collection includes portraits, photographs, caricatures, genre scenes, posters, and graphic art illustrating the social and historical aspects of medicine dated from the 15th to 21st century.
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April 11, 2009 at 11:55 am (General)
Tags: Capital Area District Library, Consumer Health, National Institutes of Health, nutrition, Reference, uninsured
Taking your daily multivitamins and supplements is taking on new meaning in today’s economy. According to Information Resources, Inc., a market research firm in Chicago, sales of vitamins rose nearly 8% during the last 3 months of 2008 compared with the same period in 2007. Some researchers speculate that as people lose their health insurance or deductibles increase, they are turning to more preventative or self-treatment options. Part of many daily regimens already include vitamins, herbs, supplements, and minerals but they take on new significance when people see them as an affordable option to unaffordable traditional treatments. For a healthy diet are fish oil capsules for example, more economical than buying fresh fish every day? Will echinacea and zinc (long touted as treatment for colds) replace OTC drugs? Need to tame heartburn? Is Aloe Vera juice as effective a soother as regular antacids?
A study prepared by Packaged Facts, A division of Market Research Group, LLC using data sets from Information Resources, Inc. examines the entire industry and finds it is “…poised for healthy growth, with sales forecast to climb 39% from 2007 to 2012 to reach $8.5 billion, following a major rebound in 2006-2007. “
But before you run out and stock up on everything from A to Z, you need to make sure you are informed about the pros and cons of nutritional supplements and how they can interact with prescribed medicines and other supplements. Nutritional supplements can be gender, disease, or even age specific. Sometimes referred to as “alternative therapies”, nutritional supplements and vitamins can be researched in authoritative resources in print and online. Several titles are available through the Capital Area District Library including: PDR* for nutritional supplements (*Physician’s Desk Reference), Desk reference to nature’s medicine, and Gale encyclopedia of alternative medicine. Online is the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
Disclaimer: The above material is intended for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis and advice.
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April 3, 2009 at 3:21 pm (General)
Tags: Capital Area District Library, Consumer Health, Libraries, Michigan eLibrary, National Institutes of Medicine, Reference
If you’ve had any encounters with medical professionals over the past few years you may have noticed a shift in how 
the exchange of information is handled. The health care system used to be more paternalistic with the doctor laying out the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis all in one neat package. The system was doctor-centered and the patient’s role was one of trust and compliance. The doctor had the formal education and knowledge which the patient benefited from. Gradually though, a shift has occurred and our system is now patient-oriented where the patient is more of a partner in the diagnosis and treatment process. Patients are expected to ask questions, obtain information, consider options, discuss rather than just listen, and participate in decision-making. This is not to say that the doctor has been displaced as the knowledgeable and educated expert but rather to recognize that all patients now play an expanded role in their own health care.
In order to do this, both participants need to learn new skill sets - patients need to educate themselves about their condition, ask questions, keep notes; doctors need to engage patients, express empathy, listen. This shift in the relationship dynamics is recognized by the medical community and being addressed in training. For their part, patients need to know that they have many educational resources available to them via their local public library, medical libraries that are open to the public, subscription databases, and the internet.
In the mid-Michigan area the Capital Area District Library offers many books and magazines and databases. Sparrow Health Sciences Library is open to the public for finding quality medical information. Reliable internet sites like WebMd, National Library of Medicine, and Mayo Clinic, are also useful. So, if you find yourself in need of reliable medical information, don’t hesitate to utilize one or all of these resources to complement the information you receive from your doctor and other medical professionals.
Disclaimer: The above material is intended for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis and advice.
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March 27, 2009 at 1:38 pm (1)
Tags: Capital Area District Library, Consumer Health, Libraries, Reference
The Campaign for America’s Libraries and Woman’s Day Magazine
The American Library Association (ALA) recently announced that the March 2009 issue of Woman’s Day magazine features an article explaining how 4 women used their local public library to improve their health. As part of a promotion partnership between ALA and WD, readers were invited to send examples of ”how the library changed my life.” From the 1,000s submitted, these 4 were selected to highlight the variety of resources and services public libraries provide. Dealing with a spouse’s health crisis, postpartum depression, blindness, and a cancer scare were what these women faced. They each credit their local library with playing a role in the successful outcome of their situation. Click here to read the full article online or visit your local Capital Area District Library to see the print issue of the magazine.
This latest initiative continues an eight-year partnership between the magazine and ALA’s Campaign for America’s Libraries that has generated millions of dollars worth of editorial coverage for libraries. Since 2002, Woman’s Day has asked its readers to write in about “how the library has changed my life,” “why I would want to be a librarian for a day” and “how I started my business at the library.”
From now until May 18, Woman’s Day magazine is collecting stories on how the resources found at libraries have aided its readers in saving money, finding jobs and providing necessary resources during tough economic times. To participate, women 18 and over can submit their stories in 700 words or less to womansday@ala.org Four submissions will be featured in the March 2010 issue of Woman’s Day. Click here for the official rules.
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March 6, 2009 at 10:03 am (General)
Tags: Capital Area District Library, Daylight Saving time, MelCat, Michigan eLibrary, Reference
Just a quick reminder that Daylight Saving Time (DST) goes into effect in much of the U.S. on Sunday, March 
8, at 2 a.m. local time. “Spring forward” by setting your clock ahead 1 hour.
DST was first established in the U.S. in 1918 and most recently modified in 2005 by the Energy Policy Act to take effect on the 2nd Sunday of March. Several reasons for DST have been cited over the years including energy conservation, fewer traffic accidents, and less violent crime.
For the U.S. and its territories, Daylight Saving Time is NOT observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and Arizona. The Navajo Nation participates in the Daylight Saving Time policy, even in Arizona, due to its large size and location in three states.
Information for this post obtained from WebExhibits. See their website for further interesting history, anecdotes, controversies, and a list of world countries that observe DST (or Summer Time, as they call it in the E.U.)
Useful information can also be found at time and date. com. The Capital Area District Library has 2 books on DST. Seize the daylight: the curious and contentious story of daylight saving time by David Prerau and Spring forward : the annual madness of daylight saving by Michael Downing. Copies can be found at the Dowtown Lansing, South Lansing and Haslett locations. Also, several other libraries throughout the state have books on DST – search MelCat, the statewide interloan system for other resources. Enjoy!
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December 8, 2008 at 10:53 pm (General)
Tags: Alzheimer's Disease, Consumer Health, Dementia, Michigan, Reference
A group called the Michigan Dementia Coalition has created a very helpful website for those of us who are worried about changes in memory for ourselves, our parents, or someone we care about. The Coalition is composed of consumers, community groups, universities and state agencies. They offer help for caregivers with a Caregiver Stress Check , a list of partner websites, the Top 10 Warning Signs, and an email list for updates. The Media Center provides press releases and an archive of E-Blasts , the email updates they issue. Look for their ads and billboards in Michigan.
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November 29, 2008 at 9:20 pm (General)
Tags: Consumer Health, Reference
Have you ever thought how useful it would be to view educational videos on current medical topics at your convenience rather than while sitting in a doctor’s office? Through the wonders of modern computing, such an experience is possible when you subscribe to Podcasts. Podcasts are audio or digital-media files which are broadcast over the internet.
Several major research and teaching hospitals such as Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, and Indiana University School of Medicine have been offering such subscriptions for the past few years. They’re totally free, authoritative, reliable, and very informative. While Podcasts can be dowloaded to a portable device like an MP3 player, they can also be played on a computer using media software. Currently, topics available at these sites include Bullying Among Girls, Depression or Bipolar?, Assessing Heart Disease, Inhaled Steroids Use & COPD, and New Medicine for Migraines.
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