National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: People Science Health - Health Information Network (HIN) e-Newsletter

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November 13, 2009

Diseases and Conditions Explained in Plain Language

The Diseases and Conditions Index (DCI) on the NHLBI Web site offers quick and easy access to complete and dependable information about heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders.

Articles cover a variety of diseases, conditions, tests, and procedures. Some articles contain animated graphics, and Spanish-language articles are available for selected topics. You can listen to podcasts for popular topics—and video clips and interactive quizzes are coming soon.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci

DCI search widgetDownload the DCI Search Widget

This DCI search widget can help you search the DCI for content related to heart, lung, and blood diseases and conditions or sleep disorders. Also available is a Spanish-language DCI search tool.

Post it on a Web page or personal page to easily access f|r|e|e online health information.

http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/searchDCI
(Widgets are small applications that perform a function or display featured content. You can download these applications to a Web page)

Sample DCI Topic—Asthma

More than 22 million people in the United States are known to have asthma. Nearly 6 million of these people are children. The DCI Asthma article provides information to help you understand the signs, symptoms, and causes, and summarizes key points.

The goal of treatment is to control the disease. Good asthma control includes:

  • Preventing chronic and troublesome symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath
  • Reducing your need for quick-relief medicines
  • Helping you maintain good lung function
  • Letting you maintain normal activity levels, including sleeping through the night
  • Preventing asthma attacks that could result in an ER visit or being admitted to the hospital for treatment

Visit the DCI Asthma article to learn more:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Asthma/Asthma_WhatIs.html

Figure A shows the location of the lungs and airways in the body. Figure B shows a cross-section of a normal airway. Figure C shows a cross-section of an airway during asthma symptoms.

Supplement the DCI's Asthma Information with Convenient Print Resources and Materials

The "So You Have Asthma" patient education materials provide information on asthma management and describe asthma symptoms and the latest treatments. The patient education booklet offers step-by-step guidance for monitoring asthma, using a peak flow meter, controlling triggers, taking medicines, and communicating with your health care providers about asthma management. A symptom diary, an asthma action plan, an asthma assessment checklist, and a list of information resources are provided to help asthma sufferers organize important details.

As an NHLBI HIN member, we are offering you a unique opportunity to be among the first to receive updates from the NHLBI's new National Asthma Control Initiative (NACI).

This exciting new initiative is uniting diverse individuals and organizations nationwide around a common goal: putting science-based asthma guidelines into practice to improve asthma control and quality of life for all people with asthma. The NACI and its partners offer valuable strategies, resources, and networking opportunities for advancing asthma best practices among patients, families, and caregivers; health care professionals; schools and childcare settings; State health departments, communities, and coalitions; and public and private purchasers and insurers, among many others.

Sign up now to receive the quarterly NACI in the Know e-newsletter and periodic e-alerts featuring the initiative's latest activities, partners, and events, along with tips, tools, and strategies that you can use.

We would greatly appreciate a quick note at NHLBIHIC@air.org to let us know how you use this information.

You are receiving this e-mail notification because you joined the Health Information Network of the National, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, or gave permission to NHLBI to send you e-mails. These notifications are limited to the subject areas in which you expressed interest. If you do not wish to receive additional notifications, please enter your e-mail address as it appears on messages from us, at http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/joinhin/unsubscribe.asp. If you experience any difficulty or have questions, please contact us at nhlbiinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov or call (301) 592-8573 TTY: (240) 629-3255.

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