|
UsefulRest Information
License Type: Free
Price: Free
Current Version: 2.8
Last Update:
May 27, 2008
|
Mobile Phone
|
|
Car
|
|
Autos
|
|
|
|
Computer and Health
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]
[14]
Free for you
By Dr Rob Hicks
Never before have there been so many different ways to get health information and advice. Turn on the TV, turn on the radio, turn on the computer, open a newspaper or magazine and you're bound to find health stories and articles.
Whether they're offering advice about how to live a healthy lifestyle, or whether it's someone reminding you to have your blood pressure checked, it seems that everyone is concerned about your health.
But this is health advice being thrown at you - sometimes it can feel as though it's being shoved down your throat, at times when you may not necessarily need it. So how can you get help when you need it, where is the best place to get it, and who is the best person to ask?
Help from your GP
Traditionally most people would answer 'the general practitioner,' or GP. The GP was always the person we turned to when we needed help - and this is still often the case.
However, nowadays the GP who helps you may not be the GP you are registered with. It may be another doctor in the practice or if, for example, your own GP is away on holiday, he or she may have arranged for another doctor (a locum) to fill in during the daytime.
When you need advice out-of-hours, that is overnight and on weekends, it's more and more likely that another doctor will be on the end of the phone. Some doctors have always taken it in turns to look after each other's patients on a local rota.
More recently, larger groups of doctors have formed GP co-operatives ('co-ops') across the UK to provide advice to patients over the phone and to visit them at home if necessary. These doctors are still working within the NHS, many have their own practices, and they sign-up to work shifts covering the out-of-hours periods.
Of course it's not only from GPs that you can get medical advice over the phone or in your own, far from it. You can get this from nurses too.
NHS Direct
Telephone: 0845 4647
Web: http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/
One of the most recent developments in England is the introduction of NHS Direct, the 24-hour nurse-led health advice line. NHS Direct not only provides medical advice over the telephone when you need it but it also provides information about health matters such as where your nearest pharmacy is and what their opening hours are.
In the future, NHS Direct may play an even greater role, for example, if you wish to book an appointment with your GP then you may ring NHS Direct to do this - and not your doctor's surgery. Scotland has a similar service called NHS 24.
Your practice nurse
Everyday practice nurses offer telephone advice to their patients. For example, maybe a woman has forgotten to take one of her contraceptive pills and wants to know what she should do, perhaps a baby or child isn't feeling very well after having an immunisation and the mum or dad is concerned. It might be that a person is travelling and wants to know what travel vaccinations they need. The practice nurse is able to answer many health-related questions and offer lifestyle advice too.
Many nurses will visit patients at home when they are unable to come to the surgery to be seen. Sometimes this will be the practice nurse, other times this will be the district or community nurse.
Someone who has just had an operation may need their dressing changed, someone who has developed a leg ulcer will need this dressing regularly throughout the week. The district nurse may visit someone to help administer their medication, their insulin injections or eye drops, for example.
Other health professionals
In some areas, physiotherapists and occupational therapists may visit people at home, as might the local pharmacist if he or she provides a medication home delivery service.
Midwives may visit people at home if someone has requested to have a home birth, and they'll often visit new mums and babies in the first 10 days after baby is born. After that it's the health visitor, another trained nurse, who will regularly visit at home.
Health visitors are responsible for children until they reach the age of 5 and are a fantastic source of help and advice, particularly for new mums and dads when the arrival of a little one can be quite daunting. Whether it's problems with feeding or sleeping, or advice on clothing and bathing, health visitors can invariably help parents to successfully overcome any problems.
For those people suffering with mental health problems, a psychiatrist may visit them at home - as will the community psychiatric nurse or CPN.
Probably the most rapidly growing source of health information and advice is the Internet. Most UK charities, associations, and other organisations have recognised the potential of the Web, and have developed their own websites to provide information. Find out more in our WebWise Health feature...
Computer and Health:
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]
[14]
|
|
|
|
