The Mens Health Link is provided by the Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) for members of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution.  The committee has 22 members, almost all of whom are health professionals. The primary responsibility of the committee is to provide information and education on health matters to the membership.

Initial health information in this link deals with “Health Literacy.” Health Literacy is described as “The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.”  In a report from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM.gov) Health Literacy is further described as “The ability to understand instructions on prescription drug bottles, appointment slips, medical education brochures, doctor’s directions and consent forms, and the ability to negotiate complex healthcare systems.  Health Literacy is not simply the ability to read.  It requires a complex group of reading, listening, analytical and decision-making skills, and the ability to apply these skills to health situations.”  

Studies have shown that most Americans have quite limited health literacy.  This is a very significant issue for web searching as more people, now in the millions, search the web for answers to health questions.  Studies have shown that the more anxious a person is about finding answers relating to his health, the more anxious he ends up after searching.  A major problem is that there are more and more websites to search, with more flawed and sometimes even deceptive information.

The Medical Advisory committee has reviewed and approved the following health literacy and information websites.  We plan to periodically update and add to these lists.

Disclaimer:

Information provided in this link has been reviewed and approved by the Medical Advisory Committee (MAC).  This is not medical advice, and any information that a reader might apply to himself should be communicated to his personal physician for professional deliberation and advice.

Health Literacy: Websites for Searching Symptoms and Specific Conditions

• Medical Library Association | Resources : Deciphering Medspeak
• Health Literacy: MedlinePlus
• Health Literacy Studies
• Mayo Clinic medical information and tools for healthy living - MayoClinic.com
• Johns Hopkins Health Alerts
• HealthFinder.Gov
• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Your Orthopaedic Connection
• U.S. News & World Report: America's Best Hospitals
• Merck Manual for Patients and Caregivers
• Health on the Net Foundation (European website)
• Sharecare
• Alzheimer's
• Cleveland Clinic Health Information
• Barnes Jewish Hospital (St. Louis)

Health Literacy: Websites for Learning About Health Literacy

• Medical Library Association | Resources : A User's Guide to Finding and Evaluating Health Information on the Web
• Medical Information on the Internet
• Health Literacy: MedlinePlus
• HRSA - Health Literacy
• HealthFinder.Gov - Your Source for Reliable Health Information
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Literacy and Health Outcomes
• Health Literacy Studies
• Health Literacy at University of Kentucky
• Healthy People 2010 Home Page
• Communicating Health: Priorities and Strategies for Progress
• Health Literacy Improvement
• Cyberchondria: Studies of the Escalation of Medical Concerns in Web Search - Microsoft Research
• Googling can mislead people seeking health information - washingtonpost.com
• About The Medpedia Project - Medpedia
• AMA - Health Literacy
• University of Michigan Library: Improving Health Literacy
• University of Maryland School of Public Health: Herschel S. Horowitz Center for Health Literacy
• American Cancer Society: Health Literacy and Cancer Communication
• Evaluating Web-Based Health Resources [NCCAM CAM Basics]
• Guidelines for Critiquing Web Resources
• Quackwatch: Guide to Health Fraud

Health Literacy:Websites for Searching Medications

• FDA Drug Guidances
• FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research: Search Drug Name, Active Ingredient, or Application Number
• Physician's Desktop Reference
• Drugs.Com Pill Identifier: Search by Imprint, Shape or Color
• Drugs.Com -- Mobile Edition
• MedWatch: FDA Safety and Side Effect Events

The MAC has also prepared a Medi-Log that can be downloaded, filled out and placed in your wallet.  You can find it in the Forms section of the website here.

Last updated on 01 June 2011