Health Care in the U.S.
Health care is a common topic in evidence-based literature, and an enormous amount of that scientific knowledge remains unused. Too often, American health care—assumed the best in the world—fails to deliver the best care it could. Americans spend almost 40% more per capita for health care than any other country (1.4 trillion dollars), yet are less satisfied with their care than English, Canadian, or German citizens. Only an estimated 5% of the 1.4 trillion dollars U.S. citizens spend on health care is allocated to preventing disease and promoting health, which perhaps helps explain the alarming U.S. rank of 27th amongst other nations regarding low infant mortality and life expectancy. In addition, diabetes and other chronic conditions such as heart disease continue to present serious obstacles to public health, as do violence and abusive behavior that still ravages homes and communities across the country, undiagnosed and untreated mental disorders, a 50% increase in both adult and <g data-gr-id="149">children</g> obesity over the past two decades, nearly 40% of adults that engage in no physical activity, <g data-gr-id="148">a 11</g>% increase in smoking among adolescents in the past decade—the chief preventable cause of premature death and disease, and the remaining risk of HIV/AIDS, now disproportionately affecting women and people of color. Another surprising recent development is that while the amount of information on the World Wide Web dramatically increased, that which is trustworthy has become obscured almost on the same scale.
The literature suggests that knowledge-empowered patients are able to participate in healthcare decisions and in their own treatment, thereby improving their health outcomes<g data-gr-id="156">.(</g>*) To give you this knowledge we obtain information based on specific or basic needs, whether it be for the improvement of overall health or for facing serious and even life-threatening medical conditions. Our professional aim is to find the work of a researcher anywhere in the world who is working with an effective treatment for the patient's specific condition(s) you are inquiring about. This will be accompanied by a straightforward translation of how the study applies to your situation, as well as its limitations and any findings on promising alternative or complementary treatments.
Infomedicine is a response to the increasing public interest in health care information, for people who desire to be more in control of <g data-gr-id="140">one’s</g> medical care—and ultimately, quality of life<g data-gr-id="153">.Health</g> care is a common topic in evidence-based literature, <g data-gr-id="72">an</g> enormous <g data-gr-id="73">amount of</g> that scientific knowledge remains unused. Too often, American <g data-gr-id="83">health care</g>—assumed the best in the world—fails to deliver the best care it could. Americans spend almost 40% more per capita for health care than any <g data-gr-id="78">other country</g> (1.4 trillion dollars), yet are less satisfied with their care than English, Canadian, or German citizens. Only an estimated 5% of the 1.4 trillion dollars U.S. citizens spend on health care is allocated to <g data-gr-id="75">preventing disease</g> and promoting health, which perhaps helps explain the alarming U.S. rank of 27th amongst other nations regarding low infant mortality and <g data-gr-id="76">life expectancy</g>. In addition, diabetes and other chronic conditions such as <g data-gr-id="90">heart disease</g> continue to present serious obstacles to public health, as do <g data-gr-id="91">violence and</g> abusive behavior that still <g data-gr-id="88">ravage</g> homes and communities across <g data-gr-id="92">the country</g>, undiagnosed and untreated mental disorders, a 50% increase in <g data-gr-id="93">both adult</g> and <g data-gr-id="89">children</g> obesity over the past two decades, nearly 40% of adults <g data-gr-id="94">that engage</g> in no physical activity, <g data-gr-id="87">a 11</g>% increase in smoking among adolescents <g data-gr-id="95">in the</g> past decade—the chief preventable cause of premature death and disease, <g data-gr-id="96">and the</g> remaining risk of HIV/AIDS, now disproportionately affecting <g data-gr-id="97">women and</g> people of color. Another surprising recent development is that <g data-gr-id="81">while the</g> amount of information on the World Wide Web dramatically increased, <g data-gr-id="82">that which</g> is trustworthy has become obscured almost on the same scale.
The literature suggests that knowledge-empowered patients are able <g data-gr-id="48">to participate</g> in <g data-gr-id="47">health care</g> decisions and in their own treatment, <g data-gr-id="49">thereby improving</g> their health <g data-gr-id="46">outcome</g><g data-gr-id="100">.(</g>*) To give you this knowledge we <g data-gr-id="55">obtain information</g> based on specific or basic needs, whether it be for the <g data-gr-id="56">improvement of</g> overall health or for facing serious and even life-threatening <g data-gr-id="57">medical conditions</g>. Our professional aim is to find the work of a researcher <g data-gr-id="68">anywhere in</g> the world who is working with an effective treatment for the patient's <g data-gr-id="66"><g data-gr-id="69">the specific</g></g> condition(s) you are inquiring about. This will be accompanied by a straightforward translation of how the study applies to your situation, as <g data-gr-id="62">well as</g> its limitations and any findings on promising alternative or <g data-gr-id="63">complementary treatments</g>.
Infomedicine is a response to <g data-gr-id="40">increasing</g> public interest in health care information, for <g data-gr-id="44">people who</g> desire to be more in control of <g data-gr-id="43">one’s</g> medical care—and ultimately, <g data-gr-id="45">quality of</g> life.
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(*) (M. Dawn Williams, et.al. Medical Library Association. The Patient Informatics Consult Service (PICS): an approach for a patient-centered service. Bull Med Libr Assoc. 2001 April; 89 (2): 185–193).
(Greenfield S, Kaplan SH, Ware JE, Yano EM, Frank HJ. Patients' participation <g data-gr-id="36">in medical</g> care: effects on blood sugar control and quality of life in diabetes. J Gen Intern Med 1988 <g data-gr-id="37">Sep–Oct</g>; 3(5):448-57).