Empowering Patients With Online Information (NAPSA)—Increasingly, computers are becoming an important part of Americans’ day-to-day lives—even in such settings as the doctor’s office. Over the past few years, physicians have taken to using computers to look up the latest health information in order to provide the most appropriate diagnosis. Doctors had previously left the exam room in order to consult other medical references. Today, numerous health care providers have portable or desktop computersin their exam rooms. This immediacy of information means patients can play a more active role in their checkups. If your doctor uses a computer during your examination, there are a few steps you can take to get the most out of your visit and potentially increase your comfort level with this technology: || Ze" YY # is O ~ _ | [Tb \ _ (So — an) 3 Doctors are increasingly access- ing the Web as a routine part of patient care, looking up the most current health information. practical and relevant diagnosis and treatment guidance at the immediate point of care. With such Web references as Epocrates Online, clinicians can easily access practical and concise infor- mation that quickly supports clin- elf you feel the computer is ical decisions. eIf your doctor checks some- at a clinical reference, he or she has the most current medical information on hand to provide you the best care. Your doctor getting in the way, separating you and your physician, ask that monitors and devices be repositioned for easier communication. thing on the computer, ask why. Ask if you can see the infor- mation being accessed, which might give insight into your condi- tion or care. Ask the doctor to print or e-mail available patient education information. Online resources Health care is constantly changing and clinicians need to have access to up-to-date information to provide the best care for their patients. Today’s physicians are challenged with remembering an abundanceof information, such as which drug interacts with another, and keeping current on new drugsandclinical findings. While many physicians had previously gone online to use con- sumer-oriented medical Web sites, there are now sites created specifically for doctors, delivering When your physician is looking could be online to identify the appropriate test to confirm a diagnosis or treatment protocols for a presenting condition. Your doctor may also be checking critical prescribing information such as drug dosing or health plan coverage. You can even get more involved in the process by “brown bagging” it. Bring in your current medications—prescription, over-the-counter or herbal— and ask your doctor to check for potentially harmful interactions among the drugs you are taking. Patients who see a computer in the exam room should ask their doctor if he or she is using an online clinical reference, such as the free Epocrates resource, and how it can improvethevisit. To learn more, visit the Web site at www.epocrates.com.
