Resources for The Prepared Patient
Prepared Patient 411 |
Is This Good Science?
Being a Prepared Patient means sometimes delving into the world of scientific studies to learn more about your condition. But how do you know which studies are good science, and which studies might be relevant to you? You probably don’t have the time or desire to go back to med school, so here are a few places to turn to when you need help evaluating a scientific study.MedlinePlus: Evaluating Health Information is an excellent clearinghouse for articles that can help you understand what makes a good scientific study.
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/evaluatinghealthinformation.html
The Information Therapy for Consumers Web site offers general advice about finding evidence-based medical information.
www.ixcenter.org/consumers/
The National Human Genome Research Institute’s Web site, designed to help people with rare genetic diseases, also discusses different types of scientific studies and the kinds of information these studies are best at providing.
www.genome.gov/11008303#2
“I Don’t Know What to Believe…,” a short pamphlet from the U.K. organization Sense about Science, explains scientific peer review and how to recognize a good scientific journal article.
www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/index.php/site/project/29/
The Mayo Clinic has a detailed article on its Web site about evaluating complementary and alternative medicine studies and treatments.
www.mayoclinic.com/health/alternative-medicine/SA00078
Excerpted from Jessie Gruman’s Aftershock: What to Do When the Doctor Gives You — or Someone You Love — a Devastating Diagnosis, Walker and Company, 2007.
