Strike it rich! Internet wealth of information
For best results, provide guidance for patients
The Web is a rich resource of patient education materials. There's a multitude of health-related sites that offer detailed information about a disease or condition. Best of all, the resource can be accessed quickly. It's almost impossible to offer an equivalent amount of information by distributing pamphlets.
"We purchased computers for our two patient education libraries because there is so much information available on the Internet, we thought it would be a good use of our money. We can get a lot of information through that one resource," says Ellen Sitton, MSN, OCN, advance practice nurse in ambulatory care at USC/ Kenneth Norris Jr. Cancer Hospital in Los Angeles.
While a wealth of knowledge is available, patients don't always know how to research a topic on the Web or analyze the information they find. To remedy this problem, the new health resource center for Baptist Health Systems of South Florida will have a staff member available to teach people how to use the Web.
"People don't always know the best way to research a particular health care topic or how to evaluate the information so we will have someone there to guide them," says Andy Bodger, RN, health informatics specialist at the Miami-based health system.
Also, a handout was created to help patients understand the purpose of providing Internet access. The intent of teaching patients how to surf the Web for information is to:
· help people learn how to find and review information and not make judgments about their own health based on information obtained.
· to foster discussion between patient and physician (patients should never use the information to treat themselves).
To make it easier for a computer novice to find information on a particular topic, many resource center managers create lists of Web sites in numerous categories. For example, Sitton compiled a 23-page list of professional and health-related Web sites for patient and staff use at USC/ Kenneth Norris Jr. Cancer Hospital. An introductory page has information on how to access the Internet, a list of search engines, and a list of computer terms that are helpful for Web use. (See the list of health-related Web sites, pp. 74-75.)
When she created the list, she was going to make a distinction between the sites geared for patients and those for professionals, but she found it wasn't necessary. "Almost all the health-related Web sites have an arm for more advanced knowledge and an arm for what we routinely think of as patient education," she explains.
Also, patients who are beginning to surf the Web are asking more sophisticated questions and want more sophisticated information, says Sitton.
While a list of Web sites is helpful to patients, pointing people to information that cannot be completely reviewed for accuracy is risky. That's why Sitton included a disclaimer on the list stating that sites are for educational purposes and are not endorsed by the institution or meant to serve as professional medical advice.
Sitton checked each site before including the address on the list but points out that links can cause problems. "Most sites have hypertext that link the user somewhere else. It's impossible to check every link on every site," she explains. When selecting sites, Sitton checks to see if it is connected to a reputable institution, especially if it offers controversial information such as alternative medicine.
At Baptist Health Systems an all-out effort was launched to find Internet addresses. A team regularly surfs the Internet to find valid sites. Also, staff have been asked to collect site addresses from journals, newspapers, general magazines, and other literature.
Each site is checked, and if it is found suitable, it is added to a computer folder in one of several categories such as conditions, health and fitness, nutrition, women's health, and pediatrics. The computer user opens the appropriate file to access the Internet addresses.
To be included in a folder, Web sites must meet certain criteria, says Bodger. The site must have a disclaimer, clearly indicate what person or organization provided the information, and not be cluttered with distracting graphics that advertise products. Also, links to other sites must be easy to navigate.
The Web gives patient education managers an opportunity to satisfy the patient who is an information seeker, says Sitton. The patient libraries at the USC/Kenneth Norris Jr. Cancer Hospital still meet the needs of the people who don't want a lot of information. Those patients can look at a list of booklets and check off the titles they want to take home. The Web takes patient redefines patient education. "The Web gives people a whole different level of access to information," says Sitton.
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