There is such a variety of health websites available for patient use. It is important to ensure all health information is being accessed from a reliable site. Sites that end in .org and .gov are the best indicator that you have found accurate options for health information. However, this does not mean that sites then end in .com are not good options; just ensure that you are getting correct and safe information from the website that is accessed.  Look for things such as the credibility of the site, how up-to-date the information is, the audience it is written for, the author of the site, and the purpose of the website.  Some examples of quality health websites include: Center for Disease Control and Prevention: CDC.org Mayo Clinic: mayoclinc.org Medline Plus: medlineplus.gov Kid sHealth: kidshealth.org National Cancer Institute: cancer.gov

There are a variety of health apps that are available for patient use from your smartphone or tablet. These apps make keeping track of fitness, nutrition, and medical information easy and convenient.   There are thousands of health app options available to the public and it can be hard to navigate which of these is the best.  A patient needs to ensure that their personal information that is being input is safe and will not be shared with anyone they wouldn't want it to be. Apps that protect your personal information will state a privacy policy and if an app states that it shares personal information all details should be read and considered. As research continues into these health apps in the future it will become easier to identify high quality health apps.  Here are a few of the popular and recommended  fitness and health apps currently: My Fitness Pal:  https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ Fooducate:  http://www.fooducate.com/ MySugar:  https://mysugr.com/apps/ Cou

Encouragement, support and information about your health concerns are just a mouse click away with the help of your computer. There are many support groups and personal blog sites started by people just like you. It is important to understand that you are not alone! Unfortunately, others like you are suffering with poor health or chronic health conditions. Using your computer you can locate and link up with people that may share your same questions or burdens. When searching for a support group it is essential to carefully examine the site before you join. One way to do this is to locate the words “Privacy”, “About Us” or “Legal” at the bottom of the site page. By clicking these words you can read information explaining their privacy policy, what personal information the site collects and what they do with that information. Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) is a site that offers online support to not only anxiety and depression but socia

Technology is changing the way we manage our health. Electronic Health Records (EHR) are a tool used to replace paper charting in the healthcare industry. EHR ensures accurate information is available for all healthcare providers, while allergy and medication alerts enhance the safety of each patient.  A patient portal is a secure online website connected to your electronic health record. It is password protected so your health information will stay private and safe. The portal allows you to access your health information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Some portals also include the ability to make appointments, ask your healthcare provider questions between visits, refill medication requests and access lab test results. 

Internet providers An internet provider is a company who you contract with and pay monthly for them to provide you with access to the internet. There are a variety of internet providers depending on the area in which you live. Different internet providers offer different packages and speeds of internet. Each provider can give you an idea of which speed will be required for the tasks you plan on performing on the internet.  Modems & Routers A modem is a tool that provides access to the internet. This modem is usually supplied or rented from you internet provider. That modem is then connected to a router which is what allows computers to access the internet. Any computer that accesses the router will then have access to the internet network.  Web Browsers A web browser is used to navigate the internet. There are a variety web browsers that can be used to find information on the internet. A few of them include Internet Explorer, FireFox, Chrome, Safari, and O

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