There is almost no
industry that hasn’t benefited from the accessibility,
speed and convenience of the Internet, from
entertainment to education, so why not health-care? It
is estimated that 40% of Internet users seeking health
information went on-line because they had a loved-one
diagnosed with a serious medical condition, according to
Gomez Advisors, a leading research source for
e-businesses. Currently, there is an estimated 110
million Americans using the Internet and 70 million of
them are in search of health information. There are
numerous, informative health sites on the Internet in
existence and more keep popping up daily
Caregiver/Lifeline
MedCom’s Worldwide Medical Retrieval System provides a
personal medical data storage unit, on-line for
caregivers and their loved-ones. The service can be
accessed through our web site at www.caregiver.com. The
information entered on the site is “member supplied” so
caregivers may want to check with their loved-one’s
doctor for medical data accuracy. The medical records
are then stored in a secure central database that is
protected by a special identification coding system that
fully encrypts and protects data from invasion After
caregivers register their care-recipient’s health
information with the site, a membership card arrives in
the mail with their user ID numbers and password. It’s
recommended that this card be carried with the caregiver
or loved-one at all times. Once the registration
procedure is completed, the loved-one’s medical records
can be accessed within minutes from anywhere in the
world through the web site or the companies toll free
number. The phone number immediately goes to a
fax-on-demand system that allows the medical records to
be sent to a designated fax machine. According to Mark
McCoy, President and CEO of Lifeline MedCom, “The
emergency data retrieval system gives the caregiver and
their loved-one the security of having their historical
medical records easily passed and accessed in case of an
emergency.” This site is also beneficial for new doctor
or specialist visits, children’s daycare, school or
sporting medical information requirements and travel.
There are a few
things a caregiver should be weary of when using the
Internet for health-care advice and information:
-
Never
self-diagnose or self-treat you or your loved-one,
always seek the opinion of a professional
-
Don’t believe
every health web site is credible- be on guard for
quackery.
-
If a site offers
a cure for an incurable disease, it’s probably not
true.
-
Be aware of
privacy policies so that your information isn’t
being shared with the rest of the world.
-
Keep a look out
for advertisements in disguise as health-care sites;
their information may not be objective.
These tips are not
to frighten the caregiver away from using the Internet
as a valuable information tool but merely warn them of
the potential for faulty data and marketing plows. There
are many substantial web sites like the one represented
in this article that provide unbeatable quality and care
for caregivers and their loved-ones. Remember that
assistance and resources are just a few simple mouse
clicks away!
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