Pulmonary Embolism Support Group
By far the most common form of pulmonary embolism is a thromboembolism, which occurs when a blood clot, generally a venous thrombus, becomes dislodged from its site of formation and embolizes to the arterial blood supply of one of the lungs. Symptoms may include difficulty breathing, pain during breathing, and more rarely circulatory instability and death.
For a very good blog entry by Carolyn Thomas go to:
http://myheartsisters.org/2009/07/04/online-inf/
This entry is titled "Health information online: how to tell the trash from the truth"
Ms Thomas writes about heart disease on her blog but this article is completely on topic for any disease---- including pulmonary embolism.
A few excerpts from it which instructs what to look for when researching a health issue online.
"First, consider what the letters at the end of a websites address (the URL) can tell you:
.org = a not-for-profit site (www.myheartsisters.org)
.edu = an educational institution (www.mayo.edu)
.gov = a government agency ( www.nhlbi.nih.gov)
.net = a computer or tech site (www.canadiansocialresearch.net)
.ca = a Canadian website (www.heartandstroke.ca other countries will have URLs ending in .uk (Britain) or .au (Australia) or .ru (Russia), etc.
.com = originally a commercial business (www.google.com) but now almost any website can have a .com address
The experts at Mayo Clinic (considered, by the way, a consistently trustworthy and credible source of medical information, including alternative and complementary therapies) recommend that we assess the reliability of all health information online by using these three Ds:
Dates: Search for the most recent information you can find. Reputable websites include a date for each article posted.
Documentation: This is critically important. Check for the source of information posted. Research cited from major medical centres, universities and government agencies are the most credible. Beware of officious-sounding sources that ask you to part with your money.
(When my daughter Larissa was a starving student in university, for example, she joked one day that she was going to set up her own registered charitable foundation: The No More Mr. Noodles Foundation with Larissa as the sole beneficiary!)
Many sources quoted by websites and blogs are the medical equivalent of the No More Mr. Noodles Foundation. You want solid science, not marketing. Be wary of commercial sites or personal testimonials that push a single point of view or sell miracle cure products.
And stay away from sites that dont clearly distinguish between scientific evidence and marketing of their products.
Double-checking: Visit several health websites and compare the information each offers. If you search all over a website for supporting evidence, or you cant find credible research-based, peer-reviewed scientific evidence to back up the sites claims, be wary of the information. And before you follow any medical advice, ask your doctor for guidance."
"The U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, working with industry experts, has identified six types of information that should be publicly disclosed to online health seekers:
the identity of the websites sponsors
the sites purpose
the source of the information provided
privacy policies to protect users personal information
how users can provide feedback
how the content is updated"
"Dont self-diagnose: Internet information can be easily misinterpreted, leading people to think that a case of the sniffles is a rare allergic reaction. Use the internet to educate yourself on the topics that you want to discuss with your doctor in greater detail."
[I will post the entire entry in my Journal---- for which Ms. Thomas has granted written permission,]
http://myheartsisters.org/2009/07/04/online-inf/
This entry is titled "Health information online: how to tell the trash from the truth"
Ms Thomas writes about heart disease on her blog but this article is completely on topic for any disease---- including pulmonary embolism.
A few excerpts from it which instructs what to look for when researching a health issue online.
"First, consider what the letters at the end of a websites address (the URL) can tell you:
.org = a not-for-profit site (www.myheartsisters.org)
.edu = an educational institution (www.mayo.edu)
.gov = a government agency ( www.nhlbi.nih.gov)
.net = a computer or tech site (www.canadiansocialresearch.net)
.ca = a Canadian website (www.heartandstroke.ca other countries will have URLs ending in .uk (Britain) or .au (Australia) or .ru (Russia), etc.
.com = originally a commercial business (www.google.com) but now almost any website can have a .com address
The experts at Mayo Clinic (considered, by the way, a consistently trustworthy and credible source of medical information, including alternative and complementary therapies) recommend that we assess the reliability of all health information online by using these three Ds:
Dates: Search for the most recent information you can find. Reputable websites include a date for each article posted.
Documentation: This is critically important. Check for the source of information posted. Research cited from major medical centres, universities and government agencies are the most credible. Beware of officious-sounding sources that ask you to part with your money.
(When my daughter Larissa was a starving student in university, for example, she joked one day that she was going to set up her own registered charitable foundation: The No More Mr. Noodles Foundation with Larissa as the sole beneficiary!)
Many sources quoted by websites and blogs are the medical equivalent of the No More Mr. Noodles Foundation. You want solid science, not marketing. Be wary of commercial sites or personal testimonials that push a single point of view or sell miracle cure products.
And stay away from sites that dont clearly distinguish between scientific evidence and marketing of their products.
Double-checking: Visit several health websites and compare the information each offers. If you search all over a website for supporting evidence, or you cant find credible research-based, peer-reviewed scientific evidence to back up the sites claims, be wary of the information. And before you follow any medical advice, ask your doctor for guidance."
"The U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, working with industry experts, has identified six types of information that should be publicly disclosed to online health seekers:
the identity of the websites sponsors
the sites purpose
the source of the information provided
privacy policies to protect users personal information
how users can provide feedback
how the content is updated"
"Dont self-diagnose: Internet information can be easily misinterpreted, leading people to think that a case of the sniffles is a rare allergic reaction. Use the internet to educate yourself on the topics that you want to discuss with your doctor in greater detail."
[I will post the entire entry in my Journal---- for which Ms. Thomas has granted written permission,]
Perhaps you'd consider sharing exclusively in your journal so that other participants can continue to share and ask questions without being inundated with links and seemingly off topic posts.
I hope you take his suggestion in the spirit I've meant it.
****I hope you take [t]his suggestion in the spirit I've meant it.****
I did. Thank you.
"A Second Opinion From Dr. Google". Also written by Ms Carolyn Thomas in her blog www.myheartsisters.org
Permission granted by Ms Thomas