What is the Health Information Prescription?

Question: What is the Health Information Prescription?

Do you ever wonder where you should be getting health information. Your doctor writes you a prescription for medication that tell you how to take your medication. Similarly, your doctor can write you a health information prescription to help you get the information you need.

Answer:

When you go to see your asthma doctor they give you a prescription for medication, you take it to the pharmacy, and begin taking your medication. But what about when you need information, or when you are not exactly sure what you need to do?

An information prescription is your doctor directly referring you to a specific place on the Internet to find out specific health information about your asthma.

With so much information online, it is often difficult for patients to identify where to go to get information. Additionally, you may not be able to easily determine if an online website is credible. Of the nearly 6 million Americans who seek health information daily on the Internet, more than 70% would visit a website recommended by their physician.

Ask your doctor where you might get information about asthma on the Internet. One such site your doctor may refer you to is MEDLINEplus, which has incredible depth and breadth of material related to asthma.

_Sources:

_{National Library of Medicine Press Release. Accessed February 16, 2009 The Health Information Prescription}