Complementary Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine

276 Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine
RESOURCES FOR PATIENTS—CAM THERAPIES
FOR HEART DISEASE ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
It is important to recognize the difference between different types of
sites. All have their uses, provided we are cautious. We all seek advice
and opinions from family and friends. Chat groups can be used to broaden
our network, but be aware that participants are offering individual testimonials
not authoritative information. Advice sites provided by physicians
and other practitioners, such as Ask Dr. Weil, provide a second
opinion but should also be used with caution. If you know what you want
to purchase, commercial sites provide a convenient outlet, but be wary
of commercial sites that claim to provide impartial information. That
applies also to some nonprofit organizations that may be supported by
large pharmaceutical companies. Always check the About Us section to
see what groups and sponsors are behind any information Web site.
Health Science Library sites provide as comprehensive an overview
of sites as possible. Government and educational sites generally evaluate
and select the sites they include. This is useful for mainstream medicine,
but for CAM therapies where practitioners and researchers are
breaking new ground and challenging accepted views, such sites may be
seen as conservative. If it all seems rather daunting, just remember that
it is really not so different from sorting out the junk mail and deciding
which television channel to watch. If you find your searches return
mainly commercial sites, you can filter unwanted information by adding
NOT .com to your list of search terms.
The following are a few key Web sites to get you started.
Ask NOAH About—Heart Disease and Stroke
http://www.noah-health.org/english/illness/heart_disease/
heartdisease.html
This site is compiled and maintained by a consortium of health science
libraries in the New York area. The large amount of information is
clearly organized and provides a useful explanation of technical terms.
The section on Care and Treatment includes complementary therapies
and there are resources for specific interest groups, including children.
For more information on CAM, click on Health Topics in the top bar and
select Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
InteliHealth: Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9276/
9276.html
It is important to understand the technical terms your physician and
some of the information Web sites are using. This Aetna-sponsored site
provides a searchable dictionary.