APPENDIX B: Digging Deeper: A Guide to Greater Expertise

Appendix B expands on the resources available in Appendix A by offering more detailed information about how to learn about your condition. Resources include social networks and patient led web sites, advice about treatment options and how to judge news stories relevant to your condition.

Sample Resources:

The American Academy of Family Physicians is a professional society that offers information relevant to specific conditions.

Patients Like Me is an example of a social support Web site that contains several patient communities that share and compile their treatment decisions and outcomes. The information is compiled by patients.

The Mayo Clinic has a public health site which contains "decision tools" that help you decide what kind of treatment is best for your condition. Videos and slide shows explain several diseases and medical procedures.

Health News Review is a program of the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making and is published by the University of Minnesota. It grades breaking media reports on new medical findings for accuracy, balance and completeness.

This information was last updated June 2010 and will be updated every six months. A more complete list of information and resources are available in the book Aftershock and on the Prepared Patient Forum.

UPDATED June 2010

Updated URLS:

Group Health Cooperative (p. 205)
NEW URL: http://www.ghc.org/healthAndWellness/

Brain Talk (p. 208)
NEW URL: http://braintalkcommunities.org/forums/