Take Control of Your Health…It’s About Time

Frustrated, I shut down my laptop. I couldn’t believe this. I had spent almost three hours searching for non-conventional treatment options for osteoarthritis for my mother, but all in vain.

As soon as I typed in the words “osteoarthritis,” hundreds of websites popped up, all claiming to provide cutting edge information. Some were health information sites and blogs, while others were e-commerce and commercial sites, keen to sell their products. Many government and non-government sites also popped up – all providing a piece of the information with bold claims and disclosures.

My mother had already visited half a dozen doctors to get some relief from the excruciating knee pain and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis. All doctors came back with exactly the same options – continue with the painkillers, get steroid shots, or get knee surgery. Whenever, my mother enquired about other non-conventional options, answers of most of the doctors revolved around the same, “I don’t know. I did not go to the medical school to learn about non-conventional medicine.” Perhaps, they were right. Traditional medical schools do not teach about Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAM). Now, we were back to square one, and our only glimmering hope was – “Internet”.

Patients who seek authentic information about their medical problems and non conventional therapies (alternatives to drug therapy) for treatment, often experience disappointment due to the lack of authentic scientific information available on the websites. I said to myself, “people have the right to know what their complete treatment options are.” Only then can they make the best decisions for their own health. Precisely then, the idea for IControlMyHealth was born; to provide people with a 360-degree view of scientifically proven treatment options, both conventional and non-conventional, that are honest, proven, unbiased, and up to date. IControlMyHealth goes a step further and provides head-to-head comparison of conventional and non-conventional approaches, which helps people make better health decisions.

Today, we have our teams of qualified pharmacists, medical writers, and advisory board members who are passionate about serving people. They have been working tirelessly over the past year and doing their part to empower people with reliable information so that they can lead healthier lives. We all work with a single mission, “Reduce suffering and improve health for a better quality of life.”

Over the past one year, our team has extensively researched and authored over 7,500 pages of original content covering Bipolar disorder, Depression, Diabetes, Feeding and Eating Disorders,High cholesterol, High Blood Pressure, Menopause, Mood Disorder, Obesity, Osteoporosis, Pain, and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Our team delves into every therapeutic area, so that we can provide you with comprehensive and complete treatment options – all at one place.

We have also developed a proprietary methodology, in collaboration with renowned experts, to rate and evaluate all non-conventional treatment options so that you don’t have to spend hours researching on the Internet. Furthermore, we constantly brainstorm and develop useful and practically applicable tools and tips so that you can lead a healthier and happier life.

We can’t do all of this alone. I ask you to support and join us in this ambitious mission and cause. There are several ways you can become a part of our endeavor and help us make the world a better place to live:

• Like us on Facebook
• Join our mailing list
• Share your story
• Be an inspiration to others by becoming IControlMyHealth Ambassador
• Recommend somebody to become IControlMyHealth ambassador
• Join our Advisory Board

Last, but not the least, I would love to hear from you. If you have any comments, ideas, or feedback and share our passion of helping patients, please send an email to my attention atinfo@icontrolmyhealth.org.

Let’s make this world a healthier and happier place, together.

Has Internet Become Your Health Guru?

Internet has become a fundamental part of our lives. It is very common to hear someone say, “I cannot live without Internet” or “Google is my best friend.” From reading daily newspaper to finding recipes and review of new cell phone, people find Internet as a quick and easy source of information. Although not a substitute to visiting a healthcare professional, Internet is becoming the most preferred source of health information for many of us. There are numerous e-sources (websites) that provide information about health and diseases. Most of the websites give this information in very easy to read format, segregated by symptoms, treatments, causes etc.

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Some people, especially adolescents, consider Internet as a safe and confidential source of information on health matters. In addition, younger generation easily adapts to new technology (e.g., the Internet). According to a survey conducted in Canada, 67 percent adolescents use Internet to learn about specific medical condition. Studies from US indicate that about 49 percent adolescents use Internet to gather information on sensitive health issues, such as sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, diet, fitness, exercise, and sexual behaviors.

Some research also suggests that people suffering from disorder, such as mental illnesses, which has a stigma attached to it, make active use of Internet to educate them. One population survey from UK reported that 18 percent of all Internet users had used the Internet for information related to mental health. Another study from Ireland found that 68 percent of people aged 18 to 24 years, indicated that they would use the Internet for mental health support if they needed.

The statistics above clearly indicates the increased use of Internet as a source of health information for various reasons among people of different age groups. Although some information available on the Internet may be valuable, rapid development of medical information websites raises the issue of its quality.

Therefore, how can you be sure that the information given on a particular website is absolutely authentic and reliable? The US FDA suggests the following checklist to help make sure that the health information you are reading online can be trusted: 

Find Out Who Sponsors the Website

Government organizations, universities, medical schools, and not-for-profit groups generally maintain websites that end with .gov, .edu, or .org. These websites are good sources of health information as the content given is evidence-based.There are some for profit websites that may use .org to reflect their educational mission, therefore it is important to review some of the points listed below.

 Understand the Purpose of Website

Try to understand whether the purpose of website is it to promote a product? Raise money? Or provide information? A good healthcare website aims to provide information for consumers in simple and non-technical language.

Check If the Website Provides Relevant And Original References

Good websites provide the references such as citations of original articles in medical journals. Also this information is prepared or reviewed by people with medical credentials.

 Visit Websites that Provide Latest Information

It is necessary that the health information you read is current and updated. Therefore, check if the most recent update or review date is clearly posted.

Check If Your Privacy is Protected before Signing Up

Before you sign up or participate in any contest, check what kind of information does the web site collect about visitors? Find out if there is an option by which you can directly contact the web site owners with problems, feedback, and questions. For instance, look for “contact us” options.

Click on the following link to read more information provided by the US FDA.

References:

1. Harvey Skinner, PhD, Chair, Sherry Biscope, How Adolescents Use Technology for Health Information: Implications for Health Professionals from Focus Group Studies. J Med Internet Res. 2003; 5(4): e32.

2. Dina L. G. Borzekowski, EdD; Vaughn I. Rickert. Adolescent Cybersurfing for Health Information A New Resource That Crosses Barriers. Arch PediatrAdolesc Med. 2001; 155(7):813-817.

3. Powell J, Clarke A.Internet information-seeking in mental health: population survey. Br J Psychiatry. 2006; 189:273-277.

4. Horgan A, Sweeney J. Young students' use of the Internet for mental health information and support. J PsychiatrMent Health Nurs. 2010; 17(2):117-123.

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