Learn about your Health Online

With all the information on the internet it is so easy to learn about yourself and your health. The trouble with the internet is that there is a lot of good information… and a lot of bad.

How can I find good information?

            When you start looking for information here are some red flags that can tell you that the information is not very good.

• There are a lot of pop-ups. (pop-ups are boxes that show up on the screen and they are usually ads)
• There are a lot of advertisements on the web page.
• The website is run by a company looking to sell you something.This one can be hard to tell. If you are unsure go to the about us page. They should say who they are and if they are for profit.
• If the page does not tell you where the information came from.

There are several ways to avoid these traps.

• Look for web sites that have a “.org” or a “.gov” instead of a “.com”
• Look for sites that list authors and tells you about who they are.
• If you are looking for information about a specific disease. Look for national associations first.  They are generally non-profit and give clear information.

Some Sites I recommend

www.CDC.gov
www.Diabetes.org
www.Cancer.net   

 

Online Health Information - Patient Portals

            Communication is the best gift the internet has given us. We can give a lot of information to someone in a very little time. One way doctors have started using this is through patient portals. A patient portal as a place online that you and your doctor can store information.  When that information is online you can get to it anywhere.

How can this help me?

            This is helpful in a lot of ways.

·       If you must go to the hospital. You can show (even if you are knocked out) …

o   A full list of your medications.

o   A history of your health

o   Any important documents like your living will.

o   A list of your allergies

·       If you have questions about your tests you can see the results online from your home without having to go to the doctor.

·       Your doctor can see the results of your tests much sooner.

Is this all safe?

            Whenever you are asked to give personal information online it is important to make sure that it is protected. A good safe patient portal should be one that your doctor or nurse sets up with you when you are there in person. It should be protected by a password only you know. Your doctor will have his own password. You should not have to type in all your personal information. The information on the system should be from the forms you filled out at the doctor’s office. Before considering any online patient information service talk to your doctor.

Find an Online Support Group

Find a Good Online Support Group

With a good internet connection, you do not have to be alone. Every one of us has our own individual health needs. With a good internet connection, we can meet and talk with others who have similar needs. A good support group can help you to learn more about your own health. You can talk with people who have been there and you can be there go for someone else. Being in a support community can give you the encouragement you need to live a healthier life.

Be Safe

            As great as support groups are you need to be safe. There are many people out there who are good and will be a good friend to you. But, there are also many others who may not have your best interest in mind.

            Here are some tips to help keep you safe.

·       Never give people your personal information online

o   This includes your SSN#, banking information, address, and any other sensitive information.

·       If you are asked to pay money for a service or to join a group check some things first

o   See if they are a real business – all real businesses want you to contact them and should make it easy to find out about them.

§  Call a phone number or look up their address.

§  Find and read reviews online about the company.

o   Ask yourself – Why do they need my information or my money.

·       Never meet someone you met online alone. Insist you talk on the phone first and meet in a very public area.

·       Don’t open any emails from someone you don’t know.

For more tips follow this link: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0038-onguardonline

Find a support group that meets your needs

            As said before, a good support network can be very rewarding if done safely. Here are some support groups sites that are very helpful for the more common struggles we can have. These links are for free non-profit services.

Diabetes, type 1	http://typeonenation.org/
Diabetes, type 2	http://community.diabetes.org/home
Alzheimer’s	http://www.alz.org/apps/we_can_help/support_groups.asp
PTSD	http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/treatment/cope/peer_support_groups.asp
Cancer	http://www.cancersupportcommunity.org/online-support

A quick internet search about your specific need can bring up many services. Just make sure you know if they are trying to help you or just trying to sell you something.

 

Basic computer terms you should know.

Using your phone or computer to connect the digital health world is helpful. You might have questions about how to do that.  Here’s some answers to questions you might have about the digital world.

What are mobile devices?

            Anything that is easy to carry and can connect to the internet without wires is a mobile device. This could be your watch, phone, tablet, laptop or any other thing that can get the internet.

What is the internet?

            If you are reading this, you are on the internet. The internet is everywhere. All the computers in the world that are on the internet are talking to each other.  When you “go to a website” your computer is talking to another computer.

What is a search engine?

There are so many computers in this world we need guides to help your computer know which computer to talk to. Websites like Google, Bing, and Yahoo are some of those guides and they are called search engines. You tell the search engine what you want and it finds it for you.

What is an internet service provider?

            An internet service provider is like the phone company for your computer.  It lets your computer talk to the other computers.

I was told that I needed a router and a modem to use the internet what is that?

            To make a call the computer needs a phone. A modem is like a phone for a computer. A router lets more than one device use the internet at one time.

What is Wi-Fi?

            Wi-Fi is like a radio, but instead of playing music it sends an internet connection to your device without a wire.

My doctor told me that my information was going to be on the cloud. What is that?

            The “cloud” is another term for the internet. It means that your information can be seen on the internet. But, only you, your doctor, and your nurse can see that information.

These are just some of the basics you can learn a lot more by visiting

http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computerbasics/basic-parts-of-a-computer/1/ 

For several free tutorials