Advertisement Finding good information is more than using Google, she said.
“We don’t ask enough questions and assume the information we’re getting is correct,” said Crampton, Gundersen Lutheran’s consumer health librarian at the Onalaska Clinic. “First, we need to ask who’s providing the information. Is it Joe’s cancer shack? Or is it a reputable site?”
Crampton and Melinda Orebaugh want patients to come to them for reliable, evidence-based health information. And they promise to point people in the right direction.
“Accurate and useful health information enables patients to be active participants in their health care,” said Orebaugh, director of Gundersen Lutheran’s Library and Health Information Services. “We can empower patients and families through information and education and encourage healing partnerships between patients and their health-care professionals.”
Last year, Gundersen Lutheran Health Resource Center Libraries received 3,156 questions and requests for health information
searches. Gundersen Lutheran opened its fourth resource library on May 12 at the Onalaska Clinic.
The libraries have reference books plus books that can be checked out, Orebaugh said.
She said patients often are referred to her by doctors and other health-care providers. But she encourages people to simple stop by or e-mail requests.
Crampton said some of the most popular topics are attention deficit disorder, pregnancy, pain management, diet and nutrition, herbal remedies, dietary supplements, parenting and mental health issues.
“We have access to Web sites that are available for a fee for the public, but we can get them for patients and families for free,” Orebaugh said.
And the professionals can conduct a thorough reference check on a topic or disease.
“You need to always ask if they are trying to sell ... something,” Orebaugh said of Web sites. “That should be a huge red flag that you may not be able to depend upon the information.”
She said people also need to ask how current the information is on the site.
In addition, Orebaugh sees various professional opinions on an issue in medical journals. “You need to keep in mind the various opinions, and everyone has a bias,” she said.
Orebaugh said the focus on health information has shifted from primary information to the understanding and management of disease.
“People want to know more about self-care and self-management to help themselves through their disease and treatment,” she said.
10 RELIABLE HEALTH WEB SITES
HOW TO CONTACT
Terry Rindfleisch can be reached at trindfleisch@lacrosse tribune.com or (608) 791-8227.
