5 1 Consumer Health Information

Consumer Health Information

What is it?
•«Consumer Health Information»
•Whitin the concept there is an important word that makes us understand what we are talking about: «consumers».
•CHI is done precisely in order to educate and help the users of medical services. It helps to make choices about several fields of medicine like treatments, prevention, diseases, health-related options and so more.

Health (dis)information
•Nowadays we know how dangerous disinformation can be and unfortunately the medical field is one of the most subjects at risk.
•Most of consumers of HI wants to find the answers to its questions in a very quick way but it can be very stressful to find yourself immersed in so many web pages. In addition to that, not everything you see on internet is legitimate. How can we solve this problem?
The consumer should check several tools to see the credibility of the
website where is on. The main characteristics to look out for are the
following: the author, the date, the objectivity, the purpose, the
transparency and the usability.
Starting learning how to evaluate for the trusting criteria will help the
user to filter the fake informations.

The CRAAP Test
•The CRAAP Test is a set of criteria which will help the consumer to determinate the credibility of a website and its legitimacy.
•1) Currency: is the date of publication appropriate? Has the information been revised?
•2) Relevance: does the site answer to your question? Is it related to your topic?
•3) Authority: who is the author? Is he/she qualified to write about the topic?
•4) Accuracy: are there grammar mistakes? Is the writing style suitable for the topic?
•5) Purpose: is the info a fact or an opinion? Are there any biases or is it completely unpersonal?

Medical trust
•Although the users can do all possible research to ensure the validity of the information they find on the web they must never substitute the figure of the doctor for an internet search which, although it may be in-depth and credible, is not comparable to the doctor’s knowledge and approach.
•In fact is always advisable to seek medical advice also to ensure the functionality of the treatments to which one wishes to undergo.

Integral care
•Complementary and integrative medicine is a program of the MedlinePlus. This program uses complementary medicine together with the mainstream medical care. Although they are two types of care, they are used together to provides and facilitates the health both the patient. This is wat it is called »integral medicine», because it comparands both types.
•However, to minimize your health risks of a non-typical medical treatment you should talk with your doctor and then choose carefully what is the best way for yourself after discussing with experts about the various types of treatment.

Drug and Medication Information

Medication is a drug used to treat on ilness,relieve a symptom, or modify a chemical process in the body. A medication may be injected, inhaled, ingested, or applied topically.

The action of a medication depends on its chemical structure and how it interacts with the body.Some medications work by binding to receptors on the cells, which then triggers a change in the cells.Other medications work by altering the levels of certain chemicals in the body.

It is important to follow the instructions on the prescription label and take the medication as directed. Some other tips for taking medications safely include: avoiding alcohol, driving carefully, operating machinery only when it is safe to do so, and telling your healthcare provider about all the medications you are taking.

•What is medication?
•How do medications work?
•What are some tips for taking medications safely?
Diseases and Conditions

•Diseases are conditions that cause an abnormal functioning of the body or mind. Diseases can be caused by a variety of things, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Some diseases are hereditary, while others are acquired through exposure to certain substances or factors. Diseases can also be chronic (long-term) or acute (short-term). Treatment for a disease may include medication, surgery, or lifestyle changes.

•HIV and AIDS
•Cancer
•Diabetes

Teenager Health
•Internet is the top source of information for teenagers. You can get easily a lot of information about diseases and everyone can contribute to the information stored on the web.
•However this situation can also make it difficult to figure out what’s true or helpful and what isn’t.
•Many teenagers trust information because the website itself looks professional, but this shouldn't be the only reason to trust a website: 1)Source 2)Conflict of interest 3)Editorial review process 4)Evidence based 5) Extreme claims Not related

Indigenous Health
NACCHO

•The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation is a national peak body that represents more than 150 Aboriginal across Australia in remote, rural and urban settings.
•The website provides an array of information relevant to any health professional working, or looking to work, in Indigenous health

IRHD
•The Indigenous and Rural Health Division aims to improve access for Aboriginal to effective health care services essential to improving health and life expectancy, and reducing child mortality and to improve access to health services for all people living in regional, rural and remote Australia

On internet health professionals can share information through their online forums with other stakeholders as part of the effort to improve Indigenous health, these forums are designed to allow health professionals, policy makers and other stakeholders to share information and knowledge from different states, regions, backgrounds and communities.

LGBTQ Health
•In addition to considering the needs of LGBTQ people in programs designed to improve the health of entire communities, there is also a need for culturally competent medical care and prevention services that are specific.
• LGBT Health is a journal covering healthcare as it relates to lgbtq individuals.

Mental Health
is about realizing our potential, dealing with the normal stresses of life and making a contribution to our community.
Build a healthy self-esteem
•We build trust by developing our weakest areas and remembering things we’re proud of.
Build positive support networks
•Find time to be with the important people in your life, to have fun and enjoy each other’s company and time for serious conversations.
Build up the resilience
Resilience is what helps you to look at the situation realistically, to act when you can make changes, to let go of things you can’t changes, to let go of things you can’t change and to recognize the useful media in your life.

Eat Healthy
•The world health organization (WHO) defines health as a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not simply as the absence of disease or infirmity”.
•Food education is the first and effective prevention tool for health protection , both as an action and as a prevention.
•A varied and balanced diet is the basis of a Healthy life.
•Poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle are a major risk factor for the onset of many chronic diseases.
Guide to a healthy pregnancy

Motor rehabilitation
•Following a trauma, after undergoing surgery or when there is severe pain, professional intervention is required to restore the proper functioning of the joints.
•Choosing a professional is crucial not only for the success of the rehabilitation treatment, but also to avoid worsening the situation, not to run the risk of interrupting the recovery phase or get hiurt due to wrong movements.

Sexual health
touches on intimate aspects, but also involves society and coexistence.
The Federal Commission Sex Health develop a definition that coveres the following fields of action

Consumer health informatics emerged to better meet the clear needs of consumers in managing health issues. While developers initially focused on developing standalone tools, devices and platforms, the widespread deployment and adoption of broadband networks is enabling the creation of consumer health ecosystems that work autonomously in the background to support patient needs. To ensure universal benefit from these tools, it is important to maximize broadband deployment and adoption, improve the design of new systems, and address privacy and security concerns. In this context, consumer health informatics tools will help create a radically different future healthcare system that improves health outcomes and significantly reduces health disparities in ways that were not possible before.
Health data is now available to everyone. Technologies such as health apps, wearables, and online health platforms provide us with unprecedented health information and tools, allowing us to monitor and manage our health and well-being. However, the effectiveness of these tools depends on the user's ability to understand, evaluate, and apply the information they find. Misunderstanding of health data or reliance on inaccurate information can lead to incorrect self-diagnosis, inadequate treatment compliance, and misleading health decisions. Technological development and generation of artificial intelligence can improve early detection of disease and treatment options. But in an age of widespread digital misinformation, individuals who lack strong health literacy skills are at risk of falling victim to false and misleading claims, potentially jeopardizing their health and the effectiveness of evidence-based medical practices.
Improving health literacy—reflecting the knowledge, motivation, and skills needed to obtain, understand, evaluate, and apply health information—enables individuals to make informed decisions about their health and enables them to use technology effectively.
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed consumer behavior, making them take personal health and well-being more seriously than ever before. According to a survey by Claight Corporation (expert market research), more than 60% of consumers globally say they are paying more attention to their health since the Covid-19 outbreak. This new focus on health empowers consumers to take control of their health through the use of technology, online tools, and a wealth of health-related information
Google has become synonymous with searching, retrieving and sharing information, so much so that it has entered our lexicon as the most common verb for searching for information online. Few people would be surprised to learn that "Googling" refers to searches for health information as well as TV show spoilers or homemade slime recipes. Almost half of the population uses the so-called "Dr." Google" search engine for information on health topics. Consumers are also now taking advantage of this health information superhighway to actively question primary care physicians about diagnoses, treatments, medications and referrals, with more than one in five consumers doing so. Easily Access to such extensive, detailed, and accessible information provides the public with information that was once the exclusive domain of physicians and encourages people to not only understand their health status but to engage themselves in health discussions and decisions

Other eHealth technologies that can be useful to everyone and prove to be lifesavers are the emergency assistance features of smartphones, such as the Emergency SOS of Apple iOS and the ELS of Android.

It has been estimated that the widespread use of this type of technology could save the lives of thousands of people per year in Europe alone. Such as the life of this English teenager, saved by the automatic emergency call (eCall) function from his car to the 999 emergency services following a very violent impact that had rendered the driver (i.e. the mother) unconscious.eCall is a European initiative which aims to provide rapid assistance to motorists involved in road accidents, wherever they are within the European Union. The device is mandatory in every new car sold within the EU from April 2018.

Your eCall system works in all EU countries. Wherever you are, if your vehicle is involved in a serious accident, you will be connected with the nearest emergency-response network. It doesn't matter where you bought your vehicle or where it is registered.

When eCall is activated, it connects to the nearest emergency response centre, using both a telephone and data link. This allows you and the passengers in the vehicle to communicate with the emergency centre operator and at the same time, a minimum set of data is automatically transmitted (your exact location, the time of the accident, your vehicle's identification number and direction of travel). This allows the emergency services to assess and manage your situation.

If the eCall system fails, you'll get a warning indication.

The future of medicine is increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence. This technology offers great opportunities to improve disease diagnosis, treatment and management. The AI can personalize treatment plans based on specific patient characteristics, optimizing the effectiveness of therapies.
In clinical research, AI is used to identify patterns and trends in data, accelerating the discovery of new drugs and therapies.

References:
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-96906-0_2

https://www.oecd-forum.org/posts/navigating-the-digital-health-landscape-the-crucial-role-of-health-literacy

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/empowering-consumer-health-role-marketing-todays

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jan.14419

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECall

Giovanni Boggio
Niccoló Atzori
Riccardo Cianchi

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