The Weird Body Quiz

The Weird Body Quiz from the NYTimes

Health and Second Life

A video from the University of Michigan highlighting health aspects of Second Life.

Medical Education in Second Life

Further insight into the potential use of medical training in Second Life.

Breast Cancer Risk Calculator

A risk calculator from the Australian National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre that raises awareness of breast cancer and informs individuals of the risk factors which can be influenced, and what to do about them.

Awareness Test

How aware are you? Click on the video and take the test.

Virtual Hallucination

Scary stuff! Based on personal experiences of patients with schizophrenia, this second life simulation gives you some insight into their world.

Drop and give me 20

The press up is a very good indicator of fitness. It requires strength and endurance if doing lots of them properly and may be beneficial in an aging population by preventing the damage caused by falls.
An enduring measure of fitness: the simple press up

Accident by Spacecraft

Did you know there is an ICD-10 code for accident involving spacecraft? You don't often see one of those in General Practice.

Cold Showers: What’s the Evidence?

For those keen pond and lido swimmers, here's some evidence from 'Own Your Health' to show that it may actually be doing you some good.

HealthMap

HealthMap uses up to date feeds from various sources to highlight infectious disease outbreaks from around the world. It colour codes the severity of an outbreak on the basis of news reportage about it. It's free to access and has the potential for being a powerful public health tool.

Molecular Evidence that Broccoli Fights Prostate Cancer

More proof that eating broccoli is good for you. This article in Wired Science discusses the evidence that some men who posses the GSTM1 gene react well to cruciferous vegetables and may offer a measure of protection from prostate cancer.

Did the Earth move for you?

Select your nearest city and enter the duration of intercourse in minutes and find out how far the Earth moved for you

Eye Colour Calculator

What colour eyes would your children have?

Use the eye calculator and find out.

10 tips to help relieve insomnia

From the BBC, a list of personal preferences to help relieve insomnia including eating lettuce sandwiches before you go to bed.

Obesity in Japan

A novel but slightly draconian approach to managing obesity in Japan from the NY times.

'Under a national law that came into effect two months ago, companies and local governments must now measure the waistlines of Japanese people between the ages of 40 and 74 as part of their annual checkups. That represents more than 56 million waistlines, or about 44 percent of the entire population'.

Asking for help

Some valuable insights about what it means to 'Ask for help' when dealing with ill health from Barbara Kivowitz , taken from her blog In Sickness and in Health.

A drop of water

An article from the BBC Health pages highlighting the benefits of water in the elderly.

Stroke of insight

Jill Bolte Taylor got a research opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: She had a massive stroke, and watched as her brain functions -- motion, speech, self-awareness –- shut down one by one. An astonishing story from TED

Log for Life

It’s an online logbook for glucose monitoring, medication, carbohydrate intake, doctor’s instructions and more, that will interface with any mobile phone via instant messaging (IM) and in particular with the new iPhone

Symptom checker

Have you any symptoms that you're worried about then try this symptom checker from Harvard Health Publications. It's only a matter of time before doctors become redundant although from reading the disclaimer that may be a long way off.

Tiptoeing past a sleeping tiger

An article from Dr Rob who provides an american medical perpsective about what it means to deal with uncertainty and to take risks.

Benefits of a Nap

Did you know that a nap reduces stress, lowers the risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes. It makes you healthier, smarter and safer.

Everything you need to know about napping and how to create a perfect siesta from this article in the Boston Globe.

100 Health and Medical Resources for Busy, Expectant Mothers

A comprehensive list of 100 medical resources on all aspects of pregnancy, the developing baby and what to do when the little one arrives.

Save Your Own Life

From Readers Digest - How a chair, rocks, aspirin, and a scarf can keep you alive in 12 do-or-die emergencies.

Nutrition: Mediterranean Diet May Cut Diabetes Risk

A Spanish study published in the BMJ, that concluded adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes

Emergency Room Rap

NHS at 60

From the BBC a geographical interactive map of people's comments on the NHS at 60

Calculate your disease risk

An interesting tool from the Washington University School of Medicine that allows you to calculate your risk of developing five of the most important diseases and provides personalised tips on preventing them

Cancer

Diabetes

Heart Disease

Osteoporosis

Stroke

Should I take HRT? The perfect answer

Dr Crippen, the NHS Blog Doctor shares his thoughts on the subject. It may not help you to make your mind up but it's a good read anyway.

Mapping the Human 'Diseasome'

From the NY times , an interactive graphic display map linking different diseases to the genes they have in common.

Microsoft's vision on the future of healthcare

Schizophrenia Poster from SANE

Mental health poster from SANE.

3D Medical Animation of Normal Vaginal Birth

Amazing video! Choice of music a bit cheesy!

Virtual cures

VirtuallyBetter provides virtual reality treatments consisting of virtual environments that have been carefully designed to support exposure therapy of anxiety disorders. The treatment involves exposing the patient to a virtual environment containing the feared situation rather than taking the patient into the actual environment or having the patient imagine the stimulus.

How obesity harms a child's body

A quite frightening interactive article from The Washington Post using images to describe the adverse health effects of obesity on children.

Medical education in second life

Watch this student nurse go through a simulation with a patient avatar experiencing chest pain and then cardiac arrest in second life.

Head Lice

Management of Head Lice in Primary Care from the National Prescribing Centre

Google Health

Even Google are at it now. They have finally entered the healthcare market and you know they will put a lot of resources into this and who knows where this will go.

Drug Addiction - support and advice

A round up of anti-drug websites and places to find support

trydrugs - a clever site from the Norwegian Dept. of Health

Addaction - UK's largest alcohol and drug treatment agency

Frank - a useful site for friends, families or anyone else worried about the effects of drugs

Release - confidential helpline giving advice and information to users, families and friends

Hungerford Drug Project - have been providing innovate substance misuse services in the centre of London for over 30years

Cocaine Anonymous

Healthy Eating

A clever idea from SmarterFitter - healthy food templates that you can use as shopping lists when you go to the supermarket.

Mental Health Poster

Healthcare is

Web 2.0 language

For those who feel a bit behind with the new language of Web 2.0 this collection of You Tube videos will explain the basics and put you ahead of the game.

PatientsLikeMe

Another example of how poweful shared communites can be on the web. The PatientsLikeMe site connects patients online with life changing medical conditions. It embraces the open sharing of personal health data believing that information and empowering patients can change the course of the disease. As the website states, this is the genesis of patient-led research.

Heron Sanctuary

A fascinating concept. The Heron Sanctuary, a place where physically disabled people can meet in the virtual world and be unshackled from their real world day to day limitations. This video is from Alice Krueger, the founder of the Heron Sanctuary, who suffers with severe multiple sclerosis and is unable to walk without the use of her crutches.

Filthy as a loo seat: hazard of computer keyboards

Not only should we be washing our hands in between patients but perhaps every time we use our keyboards.

There are several articles in today's Guardian discussing research published on behalf of Which? magazine which showed that type pads on computer keyboards sometimes harbour more bugs than the average loo seat.

A further article by Michael Cross looks at how this problem is being addressed at University College Hospital, where Dr Peter Wilson consultant microbiologist, found up to a quarter of keyboards in wards are contaminated with MRSA and other pathogens.

Local Alternative Therapies

I'm interested in building up a local directory of alternative health practitioners in the area (London NW1, NW5) to try and build an encompassing local health map. If you come across any, please forward them on to me?

Builth & Llanwrtyd Medical Practice

The Builth Medical Practice in rural Mid Wales has developed a series of useful patient educational videos and podcasts on a variety of subjects such as cervical screening, how to use an inhaler, flu vaccination and sexual health. The website for the practice is not terribly exciting but the You Tube videos are a great way to convey patient information.

The New James Wigg

I finally got an idea how the new James Wigg Polyclinic may look like from this video created by Secondhealth.

I hope it's as good as this!

Health 2.0

An exhilarating short video from Scribmedia taking you through the history of medicine to health2.0

E-mail and medicine

There has always been a reluctance to use emails as a means to communicate with patients. It seems to be a combination of fear over patient privacy, a fear of being bombarded by patients through yet another communication channel and the fear of being forced to make an unsafe diagnosis. The article ' Few US doctors answers e-mails from patients' from Alicia Chang, AP science writer, highlights the benefits to both patients and doctors and how it will only be a matter of time before this will be a routine part of everyday practice.

Suicidal thoughts and behaviours - First Aid Guide

I can imagine it must be quite scary if you are a non-medic to come across someone who is at risk of suicide. This is a really good idea from Australia, a set of Mental Health First Aid Guidelines to assist the person until professional help is received or the crisis resolves. Other first aid guidelines for depression, psychosis and self injury without suicidal intent can be found here.

Cocaine Anonymous - Drug Addiction

I've recently come across a few patients who have managed to get good support and help from Cocaine Anonymous. It's an accessible site with lots of information about addiction, meetings and helplines for those who may need extra advice/support. Contact details are on the website above and while you are looking try the self test for addiction.

Enhanced Visual Performance

Dr Sherylle Calder is the first person to win back to back Rugby World Cup medals with England 2003 & Springboks 2007, by improving player's visual awareness. She is a visual performance skills consultant and has developed a series of eye training drills to improve visual fitness at eyethinksport.com - check out these demos and measure your visual fitness.

Chronic heart failure

An overview of diagnosis and treatment for chronic heart failure from the National Prescribing Centre

http://www.npc.co.uk/MeReC_Bulletins/pdfs/merec_bulletin_vol18_no3.pdf

Mobile Glucometer

And you can make a phone call

http://www.healthpia.us/tech.jsp

Online pain management

I'm always on the look out for web based tools that can save me time and can help patients with managing their conditions. This is a practical web based service that allows patients to manage their pain online. It could be useful for postoperative pain or in a palliative care setting, and I'm sure it would enable patients to have better control of their symptoms. It's from an American based company so you may not get to use it unless you work for United Healthcare, however, it gives you a feel for how new technologies can be used to change the way we deliver healthcare.

http://www.reliefinsite.com/users

If I Had My Life Over - I'd Pick More Daisies

Sometimes we need to take a step back from our busy lives and find a moment of reflective thought to take stock. If you need some help to achieve this, read the following quote attributed to Nadine Stair.

If I had my life to live over, I'd dare to make more mistakes next time. I'd relax, I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.
You see, I'm one of those people who lived sensibly and sanely, hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I've had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat and a parachute. If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies.

hypertension

This has to be one of my favourite sites called 'Videojug' - Life explained on film.

The 'how to lower your blood pressure' video is well done. I've shown it to a few patients and they've found it very helpful to understand and manage their condition. There is plenty of other fascinating stuff on this site to keep you busy if you have the time

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-lower-your-blood-pressure

Are you close to boiling point?

From the Mental Health Foundation - a new campaign on the dangers of letting your anger get to you. If you need to let off steam, look at YourBoilingPoint, have a rant and measure how angry you are.

Fitness to fly assessment

Guidelines from the Civil Aviation Authority's Aviation Health Unit for health professionals on assessing patients' fitness to fly

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/923/FitnessToFlyPDF_FitnesstoFlyPDF.pdf

ABCs of Melanoma Identification

Skin Disease Finder

This is a good site with an interesting dermatology diagnosis tool
http://www.visualdxhealth.com/myDiseaseFinder.htm

Dementia

A current article from the National Prescribing Centre on the treatment of dementia.

http://www.npc.co.uk/MeReC_Bulletins/2008Volumes/Vol18No1.pdf

Dermatology

Useful clinical guidelines from the British Association of Dematologists

http://www.bad.org.uk/healthcare/guidelines/

ECG interpretetion

Quickly learn ECG interpretation with 26 of the most common ECG's.
Challenge yourself to an ECG interpretation game.

http://www.skillstat.com/Flash/ECGSim531.html

IUCD devices

A useful response from the Faculty of Family Planning to the question, what follow up is recommended after the insertion of IUCD devices?

http://www.ffprhc.org.uk/admin/uploads/No1907.pdf

Good GP blog

http://afortunateman.blogspot.com/