Health
Information on
the Internet:
A guide to reliable online
resources for members
of the public
Staff Library Service
Tel: 01625 66 1362
e-mail: [email protected]
Visit our website at
http://www.netvibes.com/ecn-stafflibrary
Introduction: You will find a lot of information on health by searching the internet. However, we recommend that you concentrate on the information which is available from reliable UK sources. Some of these are listed below in alphabetical order – this is not meant to suggest any particular ranking. About my Health
www.aboutmyhealth.org
This is a patient forum where
you can discuss and share your
experiences and learn from the
experiences of others. Here you
will find a forum dedicated to hospital patients. Aboutmyhealth.org is backed by
the world's leading provider of information about hospital operations and
treatments. We also link to accredited online sources for information on diseases
and long-term conditions.
Children first for Health www.childrenfirst.nhs.uk
Produced by Great Ormond Street Hospital, Children
First for Health is aimed at children, young people and
their families. It provides a variety of information and
activities relating to various conditions and illnesses,
hospital visits and stays. The site is split into four sections Juniors (4-6), Kids (7-11), Teens (12-18) and families.
CKS www.cks.nhs.uk/information_for_patients
Clinical Knowledge Summaries is part of NHS Evidence and provides a reliable
source of evidence-based information about common conditions. Information is
available in a variety of
formats
including
full
guidance, quick reference
guides and patient information leaflets that cover acute and chronic illnesses.
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NHS Choices
www.nhs.uk
This website has been developed to help you make
choices about your health, from lifestyle decisions about things like smoking,
drinking and exercise, through to the practical aspects of finding and using NHS
services when you need them. Features include information on a variety of
conditions and treatments explained in an easy and comprehensive way, contact
details for health services in your area, information to compare hospitals by
various criteria including treatments offered and facilities and a ‘Behind the
Headlines’ service which provides unbiased and evidence-based analysis of
health stories in the news.
NHS Direct www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
NHS Direct is at the forefront of 24-hour health care - delivering
telephone and e-health information services day and night direct
to the public. It aims to provide information and advice about health, illness and
health services, to enable patients to make decisions about their healthcare and
that of their families. The website includes a health encyclopedia, common health
questions, and a self help guide. Some of the most popular health encyclopaedia
topics have been translated into other languages.
NHS Evidence
www.evidence.nhs.uk/
NHS Evidence is a new health information resource which is still
in development. At present, it enables patients to search the
comprehensive medical database, Medline, for articles on a
wide range of conditions. It also gives patients access to evidence-based reviews
of treatments and NICE guidance. There is a links page to a wide variety of
useful health information websites and an NHS Health Encyclopaedia, where you
can print out information. The resources are selected for their value to patients
and non-clinicians.
NICE
www.nice.org.uk
NICE guidance is produced for the NHS to ensure
that healthcare provided is based on the best
available evidence and conforms to national standards. The guidance covers a
range of topics, each of which has a patient-friendly version. These are designed
to ensure that members of the public are fully aware of what they are entitled to
and better able to make good health decisions.
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Patients Association
www.patients-association.org.uk
The Patients Association is a national healthcare charity. By
listening to patients, it campaigns to improve services. It works
with all healthcare providers to improve services. Very often
patients think they are alone with the problem or complaint they
have. When patients talk to the Patients Association it is able to
track problems arising in more than one place and realize there is a nationwide
issue that needs change. The Patients Association telephone helpline offers
independent information and advice on a range of healthcare issues, or patients
can write or email with their questions.
Patient Information Leaflets http://echn2026.sitekit.net/PatientsVisitors/Patient-leaflets.htm
East Cheshire NHS Trust produces a wide variety of patient information leaflets
which are reviewed every three years. Each ward and department has an
'information champion' who is responsible for ensuring that all the leaflets are up
to date
Patient UK www.patient.co.uk
Patient UK is an independent patient information website. The aim of the site is to
provide non-medical people in the UK with good quality information about health
and disease. It contains evidence based information leaflets on a wide range of
medical and health topics. It also reviews UK health and illness related websites
and provides links to these from the site. Within the site is a list of over 2000 UK
patient support organizations, self help groups, and
health and disease information providers. Each entry is
cross-referenced and details are checked annually.
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Links to National Organisations
Advice
Citizen's Advice Bureau: Health and Patients Rights
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_family/health.htm
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Society
http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/
Anaesthetics
The Royal College of Anaesthetists – Information for Patients
http://rcoa.ac.uk/index.asp?SectionID=4
Arthritis
Arthritis Care
www.arthritiscare.org.uk
Asthma
Asthma UK
www.asthma.org.uk/
Cancer
Macmillan Cancer Support
www.macmillan.org.uk/
Marie Curie Cancer Care
www.mariecurie.org.uk/en-gb/patients-carers/
Child Illness or
Disability
Contact a family
www.cafamily.org.uk
British Lung Foundation
www.lunguk.org/
Breathe Easy
www.lunguk.org/supporting-you/breathe-easy
COPD – Chronic
Obstructive
pulmonary Disease
Macclesfield Group: The group meets on the first Tuesday of
each month from 10:30am - 12:30pm at the Salvation Army
Building, Roe Street, Macclesfield, SK11 6UT.
South Cheshire Group: Breathe Easy South Cheshire meets
on the last Wednesday of each month from 2pm at the Eagle
Bridge Health Centre, Dunwoody Way, Crewe, CW1 3AW.
Telephone number for the regional office is 0151 224 7778
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Diabetes
General Medical
Council
Diabetes UK
www.diabetes.org.uk/
Check your doctors registration, make a complaint or find
further information on other organisations that work for patients
and allow you to influence healthcare delivery.
www.gmc-uk.org/information_for_you/patients_and_public.asp
Health Professions
Council
Check registrations of and raise concerns about health
professionals
www.hpc-uk.org/landing/?id=4
Heart Conditions
British Heart Foundation
www.bhf.org.uk/
Kidney Conditions
British Kidney Patient Association (BKPA) - www.britishkidneypa.co.uk/patient-info.html
Mental Health
MIND (National Association for Mental Health)
www.mind.org.uk/
Older people
Age UK
Oral Health
British Dental Health Foundation www.dentalhealth.org.uk/
www.ageconcern.org.uk/
The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists
www.feetforlife.org/footcare/
Podiatry
Caremart
Toenail cutting service for people in central and eastern
Cheshire
www.cecpct.nhs.uk/news-and-events/detail/caremart-toenailcutting-service/
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National Childbirth Trust
Pregnancy and care
of the newborn
Royal College of
General
Practitioners
(RCGP)
Royal College of
Surgeons (RCS)
www.nct.org.uk
Obstetric Anaesthetists’’ Association
Information for Mothers
www.oaa-anaes.ac.uk/content.asp?ContentID=83
The RCGP have produced a booklet which contains useful
advice on a wide range of useful information - from choosing
and registering with a surgery and understanding the different
services that are available, through to making appointments
and getting the most from your consultation.
www.rcgp.org.uk/PDF/rcgp_iyp_full_booklet_web_version.pdf
Here you can find some answers to popular questions about
surgeons, common operations, and different types of surgery
including cosmetic surgery. You will also find links to further
sources of information and to other websites dealing with health
care and patient issues. www.rcseng.ac.uk/patient_information
Stroke
Stroke Association
Travel Health
Travel Health Advice
www.travelhealth.co.uk/advice/index.html
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www.stroke.org.uk/
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