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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April 22, 2009 at 2:27 pm (General)
Tags: technology
It’s not too late to participate in Earth Day activities and you can do this while sitting in front of your computer. 
The EPA has some neat greenhouse gas emissions calculators that can help you calculate your own personal impact on the environment in the home, personally, and on the road. The household emissions calculator will let you “…get a rough “ballpark” estimate of your personal or family’s greenhouse gas emissions and explore the impact of taking various actions to reduce your emissions.”
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December 11, 2008 at 10:29 pm (General)
Tags: Capital Area District Library, Libraries, Michigan, technology
NBC Nightly News recently aired a piece that highlights how in tough economic times, more and more people are turning to their local libraries to get books, internet access, magazines, help in finding jobs, and many other services all for free. According to the report, there are more people in the United States with library cards now than at any other time since the ALA (American Library Association) started keeping statistics. Library usage is up all over the country, including here in Michigan where a 33% increase has occurred.
Recognizing this trend, the Capital Area District Library in Ingham County Michigan is conducting an online survey to find out how to improve online services. CADL is working to improve your online experience with their website and invites feedback from current library patrons as well as those not currently being served. Please share your feedback in this short survey, and be sure to enter to win a $25 VISA gift card.
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December 3, 2008 at 6:06 pm (General)
Tags: Consumer Health, technology
Telemedicine is a technique for providing diagnosis and treatment recommendations remotely using the telephone or internet to transfer information, test results, photographs, x-rays, etc., between clinicians and patients. The Swinfen Charitable Trust located in Wingham, England links doctors in about 140 hospitals and clinics in 39 nations by email to help diagnose and recommend treatments for sick people in poor, remote or dangerous parts of the world. Started in 1998, the system has handled almost 1,800 cases and was profiled recently in the Washington Post. To find out more about telemedicine, visit the American Telemedicine Association which provides links to education resources, a buyer’s guide, current news, and much more.
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