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05/04/2004
NHS website to offer better informed health advice
Millions of Britons will be able to get up-to-the-minute health advice at the click of a mouse, following a joint venture between the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and NHS Direct Online.
The BMJ's 'Best Treatments' provides information on the most common health conditions, including explanations of the pros and cons of surgery procedures, details of other treatments available, and advice on care before and after operations. It also offers information on treatments for chronic conditions, like asthma and diabetes, ranking them according to effectiveness and highlighting the risks and benefits of each.
The Department of Health has been working with the BMJ to make this information available online and it is now live on the NHS Direct website.
The venture will give patients the same information as doctors, in jargon-free language, which will help make informed choices about healthcare.
Health Minister Rosie Winterton said: "We are working to provide a modern, flexible NHS that fits around patients' needs and meets their expectations. We know that patients would like more information to support them in making decisions about their healthcare. This is an important step in providing patients with the resources they need to make informed choices."
Best Treatments is based on Clinical Evidence, a print and web-based resource used by health professionals. There are plans to translate some of the information into minority community languages, the department said.
The new resource builds on the information already available on the NHS Direct Online website. This includes a self-help guide to treating common health problems at home; an encyclopaedia of health topics; frequently asked questions; a searchable database of local health services, and an online service for requesting health information.
The NHS Direct Online website has received more than 6 million visits in the last year, an increase of 50% on the previous year.
(gmcg)
The BMJ's 'Best Treatments' provides information on the most common health conditions, including explanations of the pros and cons of surgery procedures, details of other treatments available, and advice on care before and after operations. It also offers information on treatments for chronic conditions, like asthma and diabetes, ranking them according to effectiveness and highlighting the risks and benefits of each.
The Department of Health has been working with the BMJ to make this information available online and it is now live on the NHS Direct website.
The venture will give patients the same information as doctors, in jargon-free language, which will help make informed choices about healthcare.
Health Minister Rosie Winterton said: "We are working to provide a modern, flexible NHS that fits around patients' needs and meets their expectations. We know that patients would like more information to support them in making decisions about their healthcare. This is an important step in providing patients with the resources they need to make informed choices."
Best Treatments is based on Clinical Evidence, a print and web-based resource used by health professionals. There are plans to translate some of the information into minority community languages, the department said.
The new resource builds on the information already available on the NHS Direct Online website. This includes a self-help guide to treating common health problems at home; an encyclopaedia of health topics; frequently asked questions; a searchable database of local health services, and an online service for requesting health information.
The NHS Direct Online website has received more than 6 million visits in the last year, an increase of 50% on the previous year.
(gmcg)
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