Examine The Evidence! Finding reliable medical information on the internet

In our digital age, many of us “Google” health topics to find what the internet has to say. But as many of my patients have learned to their chagrin, scouring chat rooms or sites put up by special interest groups might only further muddy the medical waters.
Mental health patients and providers have a better road forward. The U.S. National Institutes of Health maintain an online medical library updated daily with research studies from around the world. Called PubMed, this database contains over 30 million clinical studies published in peer-reviewed journals. Most journals reject far more papers than they accept – giving this content basic quality control you won’t find on the internet at large. A new interface rolled out this year makes searching this database easier than ever for anyone to do. Join me on a basic PubMed search and learn to begin accessing this wealth of quality information yourself.

About Daniel Mintie

Daniel Mintie is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's School Of Medicine. He has a private practice in Taos New Mexico, USA and teaches cognitive-behavioral therapy at universities and training centers worldwide.

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