From an NLM press release: 'After a doctor sees a patient, he or she often prescribes medications. But what if a doctor also wants to direct a patient to up-to-date, reliable, consumer-friendly information about a health concern? Under a pilot program to be launched in Florida on Feb. 14, physicians from six counties are being encouraged to refer their patients to MedlinePlus, a consumer health site of the National Institutes of Health. The American Medical Association Foundation (AMAF) and the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation have teamed up with the National Library of Medicine (NLM), an arm of the National Institutes of Health, to encourage Florida physicians to point patients to first-rate online health information in NLM's MedlinePlus database, and Fisher Center Foundation's Web site. The pilot program, called the "Information Rx" project, will be launched in six Florida counties with a demonstration hosted by Rep. C. W. Bill Young (R-FL)...."Physicians have always known that an informed patient who takes an active role is a 'better' patient," notes NLM Director Lindberg. "We believe that both patients and their doctors will welcome this additional medical tool-good medical information-in their continuing efforts to provide good health care."...Today, the majority of U.S. adults online --80 percent-- use the Net to find health information. Most users say it helps them obtain better health care, a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project reports. Nearly 70 percent of patients nationwide add they will pay serious attention to a Web site recommended by their physician. The Information Rx Project is already well received by doctors and their patients. Preliminary findings from ongoing pilot projects with Internists in Iowa, Georgia, and Virginia reveal that 97 percent of participating physicians make referrals to MedlinePlus and the overwhelming majority use it daily. Internists who participated in the pilot programs said MedlinePlus empowers patients (54 percent), explains difficult concepts and procedures (43 percent), and improves patient-physician communication (42 percent). [Congressman C.W. Bill Young said,] "I think [Floridians will] find that, used in conjunction with their doctor's good care, information can be powerful medicine."...After testing of this pilot program, a greatly expanded national initiative is expected to follow.' (PS: Information Rx is a great idea and of course it only works with OA literature and information.)
Posted by
Peter Suber at 2/11/2005 10:54:00 AM.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
