Parent Links

Wikipedia is a great place to start when you need basic information. It has the definition of almost anything in the world. Think of it as the world’s largest encyclopedia. The caveat…ANYONE can edit the information that is on the site. It is an open access information sharing website. There are folks out there monitoring changes, but the information gets posted right away and then retracted. If you hit it before it is retracted, the information you get may not be accurate. The solution…never rely on this site as your only source of information. For the most part, you get good, solid facts here, but if you read something that sounds suspect, then you need to research it further.

“About” is literally “about” everything. It is a search engine that is easy to use and provides a quick blurb with lots of related links. It is good for finding those association and support group sites and sometimes will have links to the majority of sites that are listed above. The downside is the ads and the paid “sponsor” links. You have to watch where you are going to make sure you are going to an information site versus a site that is trying to sell you a product.

WebMd is an excellent website for information on almost any diagnosis or health concern. It has interesting articles and health tips as well as a “symptom checker.” The biggest problem that I have run into with this site is that it can give you information overload if you aren’t careful. I have had folks scare themselves to death by running a symptom check on themselves and then reading every article on every possible diagnosis. A website is not a substitute for sound medical care. Don’t scare yourself by reading too much without knowing the diagnosis first. I really urge people to avoid the symptom checker and simply see a doctor to get a diagnosis before you start researching.

The National Institutes of Health website is a treasure trove of information for those who have the medical vocabulary to understand the information (or the patience to look up the words you do not know!). You can find something on virtually any diagnosis. The information is reliable and researched. I encourage lay people to use this website to develop questions for their healthcare provider about the pieces of the information that they do not understand. When a person is given a diagnosis, this is the type of information that they are often given…lots of medical terms and high level vocabulary. It is often hard to say “hey doc, I didn’t understand a word you said.” At the same time, it is easier to go home, print this out and highlight the terms and information that is confusing. On the next visit, or with your friendly school nurse J, you can sit down and go over the bits that are difficult for you to understand

Good ole’ Google is a great place to find associations and support groups for virtually any diagnosis. With the advent of the world wide web, there is no diagnosis too obscure to have it’s own association. These support websites are great for finding links and information that families use. The down side is they are often run by families and have somewhat of a tendency to lean toward anecdotal information. While valuable, it is important to keep in mind that information you see there may not be fully researched. You can also find foundations using Google. The difference between a foundation and an association is that foundations tend to be established to support research. Foundation websites tend to have more published research information that association. This is not a hard and fast rule, so take a look at both kinds of websites. Look the credentials of the author of the material and where the material is published. If it is published in a major nursing or medical journal, it is more likely to have solid research behind it.