This week we explore Health Resources in the MARVEL databases – Health Source – Consumer Edition and MedlinePlus to be specific.
First, I check out (no pun intended) the Publications included in this database. All I can say is “WOW!!!” There are I don’t know how many Publicationslisted. They are listed in alphabetical order, I click on a couple different letters and see titles such as Date Rape: Unmixing Messages (2007) ; AARP: The Magazine ; Harvard Women’s Health Watch and Organic Gardening to name a few. There seems to be quite a variety of publications available, some as Full Textand some as PDF Full Text.
Time for a search. I search for “Detached Retina.” There are two pages of information. I click on the Relevance button and sort by Date Descending so that the most recent articles are first. Looking at the first article listed, I learn quite a bit about this issue, with pictures! Checking a couple of other articles, they all seem to be very readable to a non-medical person (that would be me!).
On to Medline Plus! From the MARVEL website, I click on the Medline link. I am now at a familiar looking page – very much like the Health Source – Consumer Edition page. The exercise instructions ask that I find things that are not there!?! YIKES!
Back I go to the MARVELous Blog instruction page. Here is a link to Medline Plus. Clicking this link takes me to a VERY different web page. There are several columns of information here. Scanning the page, the center column is titled About Your Health. There are several tabs available – I can do a General search, or more specific with options for Seniors, Men, Women and Children. Further down the center column is a box with tabs for NIHSenoirHealthand Clinical Trials. Curious, I click on Clinical Trials, and search “apnea”. 905 studies found for apnea! Scrolling through this page I see that some are Recruiting, some are Completed, as well as Terminated and Active, not recruiting. Very interesting, but it’s time to get back to the assignment.
The right hand column has Health News and a Stay Connected button. Health News for today include :
60 Percent of America’s Biggest Cities Are Now Smoke-Free
Alcoholic Drinks Add 100 Calories a Day to Average Adult’s Diet
and
U.S. Diabetes Rates Soaring
The left hand column has a Medical Dictionary, a Featured Site and Popular Searches. Some of the most popular searches have been diabetes, hypertension, vitamin D, shingles and autism. A neat feature here is that I am able to click any of the words and pop into search results. Pretty cool!!
Now I’ll explore one of the tabs that run horizontally across the page – Drugs & Supplements. I take a few minutes and search for different medications that I have heard mentioned, as well as a couple that are currently in my house. The information given for these drugs include the generic name, reason they might be prescribed, how they should be used, possible side effects and possible precautions. Lots of interesting information.
Now I do a bit of a comparison – I search for “Detached Retina” – 142 articles. I look at a couple of the articles, these have illustrations, and seem to be as readable as the previous search.
Next I attempt to look at Videos & Cool Tools this seems to be an interesting site, but I need to download the Apple QuickTime Software. After installing this I look at a couple of the videos – short and to the point. These are a nice bit of information.
I definitely like MedlinePlus but find it rather sad that our library users, particularly those who use MARVEL, need to take an extra step or two to reach this website.