As part of its effort to build a comprehensive online consumer health information center, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) is providing a series of interactive tutorials. The tutorials cover over two dozen common topics, such as diabetes, colonoscopy, and knee replacement. Topics include diseases and conditions, surgical procedures, test and diagnostic procedures. They are accessible through the NLM's MEDLINEplus service. The direct link to them is listed in the 'Related Links' below. Each tutorial is also listed as a resource under the appropriate MEDLINEplus health topics entry.
The tutorials are usable by anyone with an 8th grade vocabulary, and the only special software required to use them is Flash, a free and commonly available plugin for Web browsers. Spanish language tutorials are being, developed, though only two are currently available. A spoken text option is available for users who benefit from hearing information as well as seeing it. Tutorials are self-paced, but the average time to view one would fall between 5-10 minutes.
The interactive tutorials are produced by the Patient Education Institute, a privately held company. The NLM has contracted with outside organizations to provide information before. For example, the ADAM corporation currently provides the content for the medical encyclopedia on MEDLINEplus, and the United State Pharmacopeia for its "Advice to the Patient" volume on drug information. Material provided by the National Library of Medicine is held to the highest criteria for currency and accuracy of content. In the case of the tutorials, NLM pays for the content, but delivers it for freely to anyone with Web access.
The initial list of tutorials is small--only a couple of dozen topics--but is clearly intended to expand. Check back frequently to see the list grow. JEFFLINE links to MEDLINEplus on our Medical Subject Indexes page.
Related Links:
