Getting quality health care can help you stay healthy and recover faster when you become sick. However, we know that often, people do not get high-qulaity care. A 2004 study of 12 large U.S. communities found that just over half (54.9 percent) of people were receiving the care they needed.

What exactly is health care quality? We know that means different things to different people. Some people think that getting quality health care means seeing the doctor right away, being treated courteously by the doctor’s staff, or having the doctor spend a lot of time with them.

While these things are important to all of us, clinical quality of care is even more important. Think of it like this: getting quality health care is like taking your car to a mechanic. The people in the shop can be friendly and listen to your complaints, but the most important thing is whether they fix the problem with your car.

Health care providers, the government, and many other groups are working hard to improve health care quality. You also have a role to play to make sure you and your family members receive the best quality care possible. Here are some steps you can take to improve your care:

Be Active: Take Charge of Your Health Care

• Work together with your doctor and other members of the health care team to make decisions about your care
• Be sure to ask questions
• Ask your doctor what the scientific evidence has to say about your condition
• Do your homework; find out more information about your condition.
• Find and use quality information in making health care choices.
  Be sure the information comes from a reliable source.

Talking with Your Doctor

• Understand your diagnosis
• If you need a lab test, an x-ray, or another kind of test.
• If you receive a prescription for a new medicine.
• If you need surgery.

Understanding Health Care Quality

• Doing the right thing (getting the health care services you need).
• At the right time (when you need them).
• In the right way (using the appropriate test or procedure).
• To achieve the best possible results.

Providing quality healthcare also means striking the right balance of services by:

• Avoiding underuse (example: not screening a person for high blood pressure).
• Avoiding overuse (example: performing tests that a patient doesn’t need).
• Eliminating misuse ( example: providing medications that may have dangerous interactions).

We would like to think that every doctor, nurse, pharmacist, hospital, and other provider gives high-quality care, but we know this is not always the case. Quality varies depending on where you live. Quality can vary from one State to another. Health care quality varies widely and for many reasons.

I love all the great things Medical Assisting can teach you like EKG’S,VITALS,BLOOD PRESSURE,ETC…and not just those things you as the medical assistant are responsible for or can do. There is also front office duties that come into play as well so much variety and so much to information you can learn and that will benefit you as well as your patients.I am fortunate I get to wake up everyday and go to a job I LOVE!!!!

My patients are very important to me I like that I can be involved in their care process until the end of their vist.A typical day usually starts for me at 8:30 am and I work until 4:30 pm Monday thru Thursday with Fidays, Satuday, and Sundays off which is good for me since I have a Family. I work in the Suburbs and for a private Doctor’s office. My Boss has been a Doctor 20 plus years and is in the the field of Primary Care.

So as my day starts my office manager checks in the patient. This involves asking if anything has changed with their address,phone number, or job status.Then he checks their insurance for a copay and then proceeds to let me know they are ready to be brought to a room. That is when my job begins as I take the chart and go call the patient in at his/her scheduled time. When the patient is brought in, I take them to a room and proceed to do vitals.It is also when I get to learn the reason they are here for the visit.

Now comes my favorite part of the day the BLOOD DRAW. This was my favorite thing to learn when I was in Medical Assisting School and I found out I am very good at it. After the blood is taken the patient is free to go, while I proceed to the next patient in order to keep a scheduled routine in place, so that the doctor can remain on time. This process is repeated all day except with an hour lunch break then starting up again to close.

I just want to say that there is not a day that I don’t love my job, and although it can be trying at times I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I am lucky to have found my calling as I hope you do too. Whether it is Medical Assisting or something else in the Healthcare field I hope you can find yours

This list is divided into two categories, one for adult sleep issues and another for infants through teens. In the latter category you may see issues that you worry about with your children, or you even may see yourself and how your current sleep patterns developed over time. Each graphic is linked to the article that will reveal more information about each study, so click on the images to learn more.

Sleep

1. This graphic shows that, out of 1,000 American adults surveyed, 65 percent reported trouble sleeping, 33 percent snored, and 15 percent complained of restless leg syndrome during weekdays. Weekends? Sleeplessness rarely occurred for a full 72 percent of those surveyed.







2. The Office for National Statistics in the UK showed that, on the whole, females slept longer than males on a nightly basis. This statistic was particularly true for the 30- to 60-year-old range. While people lose sleep time as they age, they pick it back up again in their 60s.







3. This graph, offered by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), shows that the range of sleep is about equal between men and women in this study during a 24-hour period among adults aged 18 years and over in the U.S. between 2004-2006. Other graphs on this linked page show how sleep is affected by smoking.







4. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute offers information about a variety of diseases on this page. The one to note for sleep includes the increase in office visits to a physician for sleep disorders between 1990 and 2003. The visits for restless leg syndrome and for total sleep disorders has increased dramatically.







5. This interesting graph shows the amount of sleep that people claim to get on an international basis. According to this information, Koreans and the Japanese get by on less sleep than anyone else, while the French sleep far longer than their other earth neighbors…and the U.S. is right behind France.







6. This graph represents the amount of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) hours that individuals might have during a full night’s sleep. Sleep evolves in cycles of NREM and REM phases, which, together, take approximately 90 minutes.







7. This image is linked to a page that contains several graphics. They show the sleep patterns for a normal sleep as compared to insomnia (shown here) or to “Shift Work Sleep Disorder.” For patients with sleep disorders, rest and activity data display an unstable or shifted pattern that is easy for doctors or nurses to see on an actogram.







8. According to national health statistics, nearly 38,000 cardiovascular deaths annually are in some way related to sleep apnea. This graph is part of a series that shows how this disorder might be remedied.







9. This diagram represents melatonin secretion (dashed line) and the sleep period (solid line) for a normal individual (top), individuals with advanced sleep phase (middle) and individuals with delayed sleep phase (bottom). In normal individuals, melatonin secretion begins about 10 p.m. and peaks about midnight when the person goes to sleep. In the morning, the individual awakens after the melatonin has worn off, and the person awakens feeling refreshed.







10. Snoring, according to the information on the page linked by this graphic, creates significant physiological disturbances in the snorer’s cardiovascular system and sleep structure that results in multiple problems including an increased risk for heart attack, angina, stroke and hypertension.







11. Wrong Diagnosis compares sleep apnea syndrome to depression and states that complaints of insomnia are subjective and require close investigation.







12. This image shows how a normal sleep cycle appears on a graph, including waking, awareness, light sleep, slow-wave sleep and deepest slow-wave sleep.







13. Naps have had a bad rap for years, often seen as a sign of laziness and lack of productivity. But, napping lately has garnered new respect, as scientific evidence shows that napping benefits both mental acuity and overall health.

Children and Adolescents

14. This graph at MedScape shows that there are an enormous variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence sleep disorder presentations on the developing child. These factors can influence subsequent stages of development.







15. This graph depicts changes in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) incidence in the United States before and after the “Back to Sleep” campaign.







16. Linking sleeping position to the reduction in the number of SIDS deaths is important for continuation of SIDS risk reduction messaging and research. This graph demonstrates the change in position from prone to supine during the last 12 years.







17. When you click on the image for this graphic, you’ll come to a page filled with various graphs and images that depict SID and infant mortality rates from a variety of sources. In this graph, which represents infant mortality rates in Virginia by region, you will see that the incidence of infant deaths decreased in all areas but the Southside between 2000 and 2008.







18. This graph shows the day-time and night-time sleep of a single infant, excluding motion-induced car-seat sleep and sleep with a parent. According to this scientist, a “normal” night’s sleep for an infant is approximately five hours.







19. This graph shows the usual time adolescents go to bed on school nights according to age and time. There is another graph at this link that shows the usual time adolescents get out of bed on school days.







20. In this graph, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School district in North Carolina shows parents that a newborn infant requires 16 to 18 hours of sleep a night, decreasing to 14 or 15 hours by age one, 10 or 12 by age four, and less than 10 by age ten.







21. This graph shows a huge difference in impulsiveness in eight-year-old children with sleep-related respiratory disorders compared to a control group. In another chart on this page, this frequency between the group with sleep-related respiratory disorders and the control group narrows dramatically in the 10-year-old group.







22. This girl is wearing a personal light-measuring device, called a Daysimeter, a devise that monitors her rest and activity patterns and the amount of circadian light — short-wavelength (blue) light — reaching her eyes. Scientists discovered that if you remove blue light in the morning, it delays the onset of melatonin, the hormone that indicates to the body when it’s nighttime.







23. This graphic displays the vicious cycle involved with teen sleeping patterns, one that often includes afternoon napping, late bedtimes, cumulative sleep debt and sleeping late on weekends. However, that weekend sleep reinforces the circadian delay that means the teen will have trouble sleeping again on Monday.







24. This colorful graphic shows that insufficient sleep can lead to a number of behaviors in the classroom that are disruptive and worrisome, including distraction, defiance, anxiety, depression, easy frustration and irritability. According to this blog, the typical preschooler needs at least 11-12 hours of sleep.







25. In this graph, you’ll learn that, under the influence of the sudden surge of sex steroid hormones, the circadian clock phase advances in teen years. It persists in this state until one is almost 30 years old. After that, it settles into its adult pattern. But, age-dependent changes of chronotype are different for males and females.

Food and Drink

What you eat and drink can have a very real effect on your health and happiness. The good news, though, is that you don’t have to give up all of the things you live. There are some rather simple ways you can increase your health and happiness, just by what you eat and drink:

1. Drink more coffee: While you don’t want to become too heavily involved with coffee, drinking a little more of it can boost your mood and help keep diabetes at bay. Men can even stave off prostate cancer. Of course, this is if you drink it in moderation.
2. Try green tea: Life coffee, green tea can help boost your mood. And, on top of that, there are health benefits associated with green tea, including lowering cholesterol, fighting heart disease and cancer, preventing stroke, and helping limit the effects of dementia.
3. Drink beer: No, don’t run out there and get drunk! But it is interesting to note that those who engage in moderate alcohol consumption actually exercise more that those who don’t. Some booze, like red wine, provides anti-oxidants. And, if imbibers actually exercise, on average, more 7.2 minutes more per week than non-drinkers, they are getting those benefits, too. Just realize that getting totally hammered is likely to overset the good.
4. Chew gum: Relieve stress by chewing gum. You can also see dental benefits when you chew sugar-free gum. (The military is considering using gum to replace toothbrushes.) There are even studies that show that gum can help with memory function.
5. Drink soda: Instead of drinking your regular fizzy drinks, have an occasional soda — spiked with vitamins. Plus, the sugar in soda can give you a little boost of energy and mood while at the same time delaying Alzheimer’s, thanks to the body’s “glucose memory system.” Just remember to drink in moderation. Always in moderation.
6. Eat more veggies: It isn’t as bad as it sounds. You can boost your health just by swapping out one meat entree a week with a vegetarian entree. There are a number of places online where you can find tasty vegetarian entrees. You don’t have to give up meat altogether to live healthier.
7. Eat more salt: Just a pinch more — since too much salt can increase hypertension. But if you want to help stave off an energy drop, a few olives or pretzel sticks can be a good way to get a little extra boost. And maybe satisfy a craving.
8. Have some dark chocolate: While you can’t go too crazy with this one, you can improve your heart health with a small amount of dark chocolate, lowering your blood pressure. Not to mention the pleasure derived from eating it can enhance your mood and contribute to your feelings of well-being.

Physical Activity

We know that we need to burn more calories than we take in, and that physical activity is a vital part of this. But do you really have to get up and move so much? The answer is know. Here are a few ways to burn a few extra calories, and feel a little better.

9. Get busy in the bedroom: Those who have sexual intercourse at least twice a week live longer. They also feel better, since sex can be a stress reliever. And, of course, sex burns calories. Unfortunately for the single, masturbation doesn’t offer all the same benefits.
10. Sleep separately: After you are done with your intimate relations, retire to separate beds. Couples that sleep in the same bed get less sleep, and sleep that is of poorer quality. Get a good night’s sleep — in your own bed — and feel happier, more energetic, and help reduce health problems.
11. Think about working out: Apparently, you don’t even have to actually workout. Men were able to increase their muscle mass just by visualizing themselves participating in lifting weights. And, as we know, muscle mass burns calories better than fat.
12. Feel better about your fat: While you don’t want to be obese, a study found that those who are slightly overweight live longer than those who are underweight. So there’s no need to stress out trying to be skinny.
13. Exercise your thumbs: You can use video games as a way to relieve stress, and find an outlet — not to mention escape reality. Some video games are more active than others (Wii), but even more conventional video games can help by increasing breathing and heart rate.
14. Fidget: Move around a little bit in your seat, drumming your fingers, stretching and tapping your toe. You can lose weight just by doing a little fidgeting throughout the day.
15. Sit around: Taking the time to be lazy on occasion can help you relax, reduce anxiety and regenerate yourself. You can enhance the health benefits of sitting around if you meditate.
16. Mow the lawn: So it’s not exactly “cheating”. Obviously using a mower that you push will increase your exercise. However, your riding mower can provide you benefits as well: The chemicals released from grass that is fresh cut relieves stress and can boost your mood.

Personal Habits and Hobbies

What you do in your free time, and you take care of yourself, can have an impact on your overall wellness. Here are some personal habits and hobbies that can help you feel better and boost your health.

17. Play an instrument: You can boost your mood and sense of well-being by learning a musical instrument. Indeed, singing, dancing and art can also help fight depression.
18. Turn up your music: You don’t have to be creative to enjoy the health benefits of music. Loud music stimulates pleasure centers in the brain, via the sacculus. So you’ll feel happier if you listen to it loud at least some of the time. (You don’t want to damage your hearing.)
19. Swear: Letting loose a few bad words can actually act as pain relief when you hurt yourself.
20. Fun in the sun: The sun’s rays are essential if you want your body to enjoy the proper amount of Vitamin D, which can help stave off dementia, reduce the chance of heart disease and cancer, and even help prevent osteoporosis. Sunlight can also help increase your positive mood and reduce the chances of depression.
21. Pornography: For men, porn can help spike testosterone levels, leading to quicker recovery time and lean muscle. Plus, some studies show that it might actually have a benefit for society.
22. Skip the shower: The bacteria that accumulate in showerheads when they aren’t in use can cause disease. On top of this, there are actually some good types of bacteria available in dirt that can help with your mood and immune system.
23. Go GOP: For some reason, Republicans are less likely to be in poor health than Democrats. One reason might the fact that smoking rates are higher in Dems. So, liberals may be smarter, but it doesn’t mean they are healthier — or happier.
24. Play some poker: The social interaction that comes with poker, online and offline, can be beneficial to mood. Plus, the probabilities involved stimulate brain activity.
25. Connect through social media: While nothing can quite compare with having face to face friends, you can still reap mental health and emotional benefits from the interaction that comes through social media like Twitter and Facebook.

The following statistics are divided into categories with numerous links to information that back the numbers, including links provided through each image. All information is gathered from government resources and scientific surveys and tests to lend credence to this serious issue.

The Facts

1. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 19.6 percent in 2008. This chart shows how the CDC measures obesity by Body Mass Index (BMI). A BMI score of 30 or more in a child is a serious health risk.







2. Data from NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) shows that among preschool-aged children, aged 2–5 years, the prevalence of obesity increased from 5.0 percent to 12.4 percent; among school-aged children, aged 6–11 years, the prevalence of obesity increased from 4.0 percent to 17.0 percent, and; among school-aged adolescents, aged 12–19 years, the prevalence of obesity increased from 6.1 percent to 17.6 percent.







3. Although obesity has increased for all children and adolescents over time, NHANES data indicate disparities among racial/ethnic groups. The prevalence rate of obesity was higher among adolescent Mexican-American boys (22.1 percent) and than among non-Hispanic white boys (17.3 percent) and black boys (18.5 percent).







4. The most recent NHANES data (2003–2006) showed that for girls, aged 12–19 years, non-Hispanic black girls had the highest prevalence of obesity (27.7 percent) compared to that of non-Hispanic white (14.5 percent) and Mexican American girls (19.9 percent).










5. If both parents are overweight, the child’s likelihood of being overweight increases by 60-80 percent. With two lean parents, the child’s capacity for being overweight increases only by nine percent. But, an overweight adolescent has a 70 percent chance of becoming an overweight or obese adult.







6. Looking forward based upon these statistics about overweight or obese children becoming overweight or obese adults, Mississippi children may need to work harder than most children across the nation to reduce childhood obesity according to this map produced by CalorieLab. A further eye-opener is the map that shows how thin Canadians are in comparison to U.S. citizens.

Childhood Obesity and Physical Consequences

7. When overweight children become overweight adults, they carry into their adulthood long-term morbidity and mortality. One of these problems includes heart disease, or a strong adverse impact on multiple cardiovascular risk factors, requiring primary prevention early in life.










8. Childhood obesity statistics also predict a prevalence of type 2 diabetes, commonly known as adult-onset diabetes. In 2005, the CDC estimated that 176,500 people aged 20 years or younger have been given a diagnosis of diabetes. The disease disproportionately affects children of American Indian, African-American, Mexican American, and Pacific Islander ethnic backgrounds.







9. Overweight children can develop arthritis, the number one cause of chronic disability in the U.S. In a recent study, 135 overweight children complained of back pain, followed closely by foot, knee, and hip pain. Symptoms of arthritis can improve with weight loss. According to the CDC, an estimated 294,000 children under age 18 have some form of arthritis or rheumatic condition; this represents approximately 1 in every 250 children.







10. Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risks of gall bladder disease, incontinence, increased surgical risk, and depression. Other health concerns include orthopedic problems and sleep apnea. Obesity also is associated with a higher prevalence of asthma.










11. The most immediate consequence of overweight, as perceived by children themselves, is social discrimination, a problem that may keep some overweight kids from exercising with other children and that can produce psychological effects that can last a lifetime.










12. Some reports have questioned whether childhood obesity is a form of parental abuse, assuming the child is not suffering from a genetic obesity disease such as a thyroid issue. Further, these inquiries probe the question whether parents should be held liable if the child dies from an obesity-related disease.







13. According to the Surgeon General’s office, an estimated 300,000 deaths per year may be attributable to obesity. The risk of death rises with increasing weight, and even moderate weight excess increases the risk of death. In sum, individuals who are BMI > 30 have a 50 – 100 percent increased risk of premature death from all causes, compared to individuals with a healthy weight.

Control and Prevention

14. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service developed a new food pyramid in 2005, with a newer version to be published in 2010. While this pyramid shows a healthy balance of food, critics state that it also shows a large portion of each food; therefore, this lack of food portion size can lead to confusion and also may lead to overeating and obesity.







15. Despite the issues with the food pyramid, My Pyramid for Kids includes tips for families and parents that offer solutions to many nutrition and health issues. Included in this portal is a poster that contains physical activity tips for kids and for families.










16. Overweight and obesity can result from an imbalance involving excessive calorie consumption and/or inadequate physical activity. It is recommended that Americans accumulate at least 30 minutes (adults) or 60 minutes (children) of moderate physical activity most days of the week. More may be needed to prevent weight gain, to lose weight, or to maintain weight loss.







17. Food insecurity may play a part in obesity, as poor families may choose less expensive foods which may be less nutritious. The USDA released a report [PDF] about ‘food insecurity,’ an issue that shows an increase in numbers from 36 million people in 2007 to 49 million in 2008. This increase in 13 million individuals who had food shortages in the household may correlate to childhood obesity.







18. Learn about the possibilities for healthy food in your area. The USDA has created a “Food Environment Atlas,” which is basically a Google Map that users can manipulate to find out all kinds of things about America’s food system at both macro and micro levels, based on government data that can be mixed and matched. You can learn about fast-food concentrations, and you can see areas where a lot of poor people live and where the nearest grocery store is more than a mile away.







19. More schools have cut back on physical education or even recess from the school day. Time and resources that used to be spent on physical education is now being taken up complying with the strict standards of the No Child Left Behind Act. Don’t wait for your school to change its ways. You are in charge of your own nutrition and your child’s nutrition at school.







20. Learn about what you can do from the Office of the Surgeon General. Additionally, if you want to motivate your child, one way to do this is to show your child what he/she will look like in the future if weight is not lost.










21. Learn about the cost of childhood obesity, and learn how this information can be used in your school or neighborhood to help reduce the crisis of childhood obesity. At the individual level, obesity is associated with health care costs that average about 30 percent above those for normal weight individuals. But, all taxpayers pay for the costs of obesity.







22. You can ensure that schools provide healthful foods and beverages on school campuses and at school events by following the advice offered by the Surgeon General. One idea is to go to your child’s school during lunchtime to observe whether the school is abiding by USDA regulations that prohibit serving foods of minimal nutritional value.







23. Another way to help fight childhood obesity is to adopt policies specifying that all foods and beverages available at school contribute toward eating patterns that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For example, Senator Padilla in California introduced a bill in February this year that intends to bar sales of sugar-sweetened sports drinks at that state’s public schools during school hours.







24. After-school programming is an ideal setting for promoting healthy lifestyles among school-age children. According to this graphic provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 2005 a majority of after-school care was provided by child care centers and family child care centers. These programs, however, often lack monetary support to develop programs and to hire professionals to help build and activate programs.







25. The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) provides federal resources for child care that support both direct services and quality enhancements. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Child Care Bureau awards CCDF grants to states, territories, and tribes, and the majority of CCDF dollars are used to provide subsidies to eligible low-income children under age 13. Use resources such as these to help build community programs that can help you, your child and your neighbors.

The following list contains information that ranges from tracking maps to national and international news sources to resource centers and more. Each link within each category is listed in alphabetical order to show that we do not favor one set of tracking tools over another. If you are concerned about H1N1 at a local level, visit the Centers for Disease Control, which has a page that includes a list of all state sites that focus on H1N1 news and information.

Tracking Maps

1. 2009 Swine Flu H1N1 Outbreak and Migration Map: This map highlights reported cases (both confirmed and unconfirmed) and the routes those cases traveled between home and vacation / business where they apparently contracted the strain.
2. Explore flu trends around the world: Google discovered a close relationship between how many people search for flu-related topics and how many people actually have flu symptoms. Google Flu Trends uses this aggregated Google search data to estimate flu activity up to two weeks faster than traditional systems.
3. FluTracker: Dr. Henry Niman, a biomedical researcher in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, used technology provided by Rhiza Labs and Google to create this map. The map is compiled using data from official sources, news reports and user-contributions and updated multiple times per day.
4. Global Swine Flu: This map, similar to the Heat Map mentioned below, creates hot spots represented by raster tiles on Virtual Earth and rendered through a Flash interface. This map also includes pins indicating flu outbreaks.
5. Google Maps’ H1N1 Swine Flu: This was the original Google Maps H1N1 flu tracker, which now has been moved to the FluTracker site noted above. The last update was 2 May 2009.
6. H1N1 Swine Flu Heat Map: UMapper built out a version of H1N1 data, which overlays raster tiles on Virtual Earth and renders it through a Flash interface. This map gets updated a few times per day.
7. Health Map: HealthMap brings together disparate data sources to achieve a unified and comprehensive view of the current global state of infectious diseases and their effect on human and animal health. To check just for influenza-related news, check only the box that says “influenza” under “Diseases, last 30 days.” You also can follow this map through Twitter or download an app for your iPhone.
8. New England Journal of Medicine Influenza A (H1N1 = “Swine Flu”) Reports: Official data is obtained from CDC and WHO daily Influenza A (H1N1) updates. Informal data sources are a subset of reports from the HealthMap database. The case numbers shown are cumulative counts. As of mid-July, reports are no longer available from official channels, however.

National and International News Updates

9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: This news information is especially pertinent for people who travel, as the CDC relays information on major outbreaks across the world and determines whether or not an area is safe for U.S. citizen travel. This information also is available as an RSS feed.
10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2009 H1N1 Flu Situation Update: The CDC also offers specific information on the H1N1, with advice, news, maps and more that can help you apprise your situation.
11. Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy Novel H1N1 Influenza (Swine Flu): CIDRAP is created by the Academic Health Center at the University of Minnesota, and offers breaking news on H1N1.
12. CNN H1N1: Follow news, worldwide concerns, test your knowledge and learn about H1N1 activity in the U.S.
13. Create Google News Alerts: If you don’t have a Google account, create one, and if you have an account, you can go to the Google News pages and create alerts about “H1N1″ and/or “Swine Flu” to arrive in your email box or RSS reader. You can choose between H1N1 news or Swine Flu news.
14. Flu.gov: This is your one-stop access to U.S. Government H1N1, avian and pandemic flu information. This site targets consumers, professionals, caregivers and more. They also have information on a state-by-state basis.
15. World Health Organization: The WHO presents updates on the most recent news items regarding disease outbreaks on this page. Use their RSS feed if you prefer.

Resource Centers

16. Business Continuity: Gartner Blog Network offers a special section on how H1N1 may affect businesses and organizations, including topics such as pandemic planning.
17. H5N1: This blog carries information about all pandemic influenza, and their link resources cover H1N1, avian flu and more.
18. MedScape Today’s H1N1 Influenza A (Swine Flu) Alert Center: Stay up-to-date on the latest vaccine information, news about H1N1 and insights from experts on this flu.
19. The Lancet’s H1N2 Flu Resource Centre: The Lancet’s H1N1 Resource Centre is the result of a collaborative effort by the editors of over 40 Elsevier-published journals and eleven learned societies who have agreed to make freely available any relevant content on this site. Register for site updates.
20. WebMD’s Swine Flu Guide: Look to this site for breaking news, medical facts and practical advice on H1N1

Information from Other Countries

21. European Center for Disease Prevention and Control: The European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) was established in 2005 to strengthen Europe’s defenses against infectious diseases. This link leads to their H1N1 portion of the site.
22. Health Protection Agency: Look to the UK to provide information about “Swine Influenza.” This site has advice for the public, healthcare professionals and the media.
23. Influenza A (H1N1 Swine Flu): New Zealand offers this site that displays signs and symptoms, how to care for yourself and others, and a preparedness kit. They also supply news and updates for their country.
24. Resources and Links: Offered by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aging, this site offers news, answers to questions, guidelines for officials and more.
25. Swine Flu in Canada – Information Sources: This site provides insight into Canada’s outlook on H1N1, with news, flu tracking maps and even U.S. information.

The following blogs are current, and they’re divided into various categories to help your search. Each blog is listed alphabetically within these categories to show readers that we do not favor one blog’s perspective over another.

Consumer Healthcare

1. DoctorPundit: This is a healthcare and science policy blog, a compilation of one physician’s thoughts on these topics and is intended for health care industry professionals and the general public.
2. Dr. Buttery’s Public Health Blog: This blog covers topics that range from access to prevention and from health education to policy and research.
3. Health Policy Blog: The Mayo Clinic Health Policy Symposium blog provides a venue for discussion of crucial health reform issues that were tackled at the 2008 Mayo Clinic National Symposium on Health Care.
4. Health Wonk Review: This blog is a biweekly compendium of the best health policy blogs on the Internet. This compendium provides readers with a way to sample the “best of the best.”
5. John Goodman’s Health Policy Blog: John Goodman’s perspective on health care policy and news.
6. The Health Care Blog: Wall Street Journal calls this blog a “must read,” and Industry Insider stated, “Learn more in ten minutes than you could reading your local paper for a week.”
7. WSJ Health Blog: The Wall Street Journal provides news and analysis on health and the business of health, including how health care policies affect both topics.

Health Care, Marketing and Communications

8. Health Care Vox: Know More Media sponsors this blog, which focuses on healthcare communications and marketing news and information.
9. Health Policy and Communications Blog: This blog is intended to foster discussion and analysisabout how health policy and communications issues affect clinical and economic outcomes.
10. Schwitzer health news blog: Gary Schwitzer, from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism & Mass Communication and publisher of HealthNewsReview.org writes this blog.

Health Care Economics

11. Health Care Policy and Marketplace Review: Bob Laszewski’s review of the latest developments in federal health policy and marketplace activities in the health care financing business.
12. Healthcare Economist: Jason is a Ph.D. economist with research interests in healthcare policy issues, healthcare policy economics, the health insurance market and Medicare.
13. Health Populi: Jane is a health economist and management consultant who has worked with health care stake holders for over two decades. She focuses on the forecasting, business planning and more.
14. The International Medical Market Place: This blog reflects its title, as it is an up-to-date report on international medical market information.

Health Care Reform

15. Guaranteed Healthcare Blog: This blog is focused on the single-payer model for guaranteed public health care.
16. Health Beat: This project by The Century Foundation features Maggie Mahar’s expertise and outlook on health care reform.
17. Health Care Renewal: This blog addresses the threats to health care’s “core values, especially those stemming from concentration and abuse of power.”
18. New Health Dialogue Blog: The New America Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy institute, and they sponsor this blog on health care policy reform and other current health care issues.
19. PNHP Blog: This blog, produced by the Physicians for a National Health Program, focuses on single-payer resources and health care reform.
20. Retired Doc’s Thoughts: A retired doctor focuses on health care reform issues.
21. The Alan Katz Health Care Reform Blog: Alan has long been a strong advocate for agents and the role they play in America’s health care coverage system.
22. The Walker Report: Jon Walker writes about politics and policy, with a recent focus on health care reform. His blog entries also can be seen at Health Care for All.

International Policy

23. Center for Global Development Blogs: CGD’s blogs provide frequent updates, analysis, and informed commentary on specific health policy issues.
24. Global Health Report: Health journalist Christine Gorman searches internationally for what works, what doesn’t and what needs to happen next in global health.
25. Global Voices: Over 200 bloggers from around the world bring translations and citizen media reports to this venue. This link leads to the health section of this blog.
26. Health Affairs Blog: Read perspectives on national and international health affairs from the staff of The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere as well as from contributing voices.
27. Stayin’ Alive: Discussion of public health and health care policy, from a public health perspective. Topics include economics, politics and sociology of health and illness in the U.S. and the world.
28. World Health Care Blog: This site was launched as a companion blog to the World Health Care Congress conference series and is sponsored by World Congress.

Health Care and the Workplace

29. HR Benefits Alert: Entries on this blog focus on special reports and articles that bring Human Resources issues to light, including employee health and welfare.
30. OSHA Underground: A mostly anonymous group of bloggers, who are concerned with workplace safety and health, contribute to this blog about OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).
31. Terry Neese’s Blog: This blog focuses on health policies for labor, women and more.
32. The Sentinel Effect: Richard Eskow, CEO of Health Knowledge Systems in Los Angeles, focuses on health care services and workers’ compensation industries.
33. Wellforce: A Certified Occupational Health Nurse, wellness practitioner and health coach writes about health behaviors, prevention practices, consumer empowerment and health policy.
34. Wellness Corporate Insights: The owners of Wellness Corporate Solutions, a leading Maryland-based employee wellness company, offer this blog to help benefits brokers, HR managers and others in the wellness industry keep current.
35. Workers’ Comp Insider: Lynch Ryan’s weblog about workers’ compensation, risk management, business insurance, workplace health & safety, occupational medicine, injured workers, insurance webtools & technology and related topics.

Healthcare Ethics

36. Bioethics Discussion Blog: Dr. Bernstein posts a new ethics topic about once or twice per week so you can discuss the topic with others.
37. Global Bioethics Blog: Stuart Rennie at Chapel Hill is a research assistant professor in bioethics, an ethics consultant for projects in DR Congo and Madagascar and is a grant project manager who focuses on bioethics and research ethic issues in sub-Saharan Africa.
38. Health Care Organizational Ethics: This blog, written by Jim Sabin, is centered on discussion and debate about health care organizational ethics and the health system in general.
39. Medical Ethics Blog: Stuart Laidlaw has covered faith and ethics since early 2006 at the Toronto Daily Star, and he continues to sort out ethics as they apply to medical ethics on this blog.
40. Hooked: Ethics, Medicine, and Pharma: Dr. Howard Brody provides insight, updates and commentary on the topics he wrote about in his book by the same name as the Web site.
41. Vaccine Ethics: Vaccine news and commentary from the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics.

Health and The Law

42. FDA Law Blog: This blog is maintained by Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C., the the largest dedicated food and drug law firm in the country.
43. Health Care Law Blog: Bob Coffield is intent on helping businesses and health care providers weave through a variety of state and federal health care regulations and assisting them in business transactions.
44. HealthBlawg: David Harlow is a health care lawyer and consultant who focuses on legal, policy and business issues that face the health care community.
45. HealthLawProf Blog: S. Elizabeth Malloy from the University of Cincinnati College of Law talks about health care reform and much more.
46. Journal of Health Law and Policy: Stay up-to-date on health law and policy through this blog produced by the Saint Louis University School of Law.

Government Policy Watchdogs

47. EnviroWonk: If you believe your environment has something to do with your health, follow this blog to learn more about current and changing environmental policies.
48. Eye on FDA: Mark Senak, an attorney with experience in public health, provides his opinion on issues emanating from the Food and Drug Administration.
49. Not in my Food: The Consumers Union believes that all citizens have a right to know what is contained in the food we eat, and keeps a tight watch on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
50. OMB Watch: This blog focuses on promoting open government accountability and citizen participation with health, safety and environmental issues.

General Health and Medical Career Blogs

You can get the latest news in the health and medical industry, as well as learn helpful information about a variety of professions in health and medical careers.

1. Health Careers Blog from About.com provides information about careers in health and medical fields. Includes news about prominent players in medical careers.
2. Health Care Employment Opportunities This blogs offers information about careers in health care, as well as posts about health and wellness.
3. Cal’s Career Center Health Team is a blog from University of California Berkeley that is aimed at helping pre-med and pre-health students figure out what they need to do to land jobs in medical careers.
4. Premier Health Careers Blog offers information about the medical and health professions. Also includes information on hot jobs, so that you know which medical careers are in high demand.
5. Explore Health Careers helps potential medical workers learn more about the environment, and see what is needed in today’s health care industry.
6. Health Careers Center at the University of Minnesota is very helpful in terms of sharing information about medical careers, public health and different fields related to medicine and health care.
7. Health 2.0 Blog offers information on the latest practices and health technology for medical careerists and students.

Nursing Blogs

Nursing is one of the medical careers in highest demand right now. There are a number blogs devoted to the nursing profession, offering a number of insights and stories about working in this demanding profession.

8. Emergiblog takes a look at nursing today, and the issues that faces nurses — and their patients.
9. Codeblog looks at life as an Intensive Care nurse. Interesting insights into the nursing profession.
10. The Nursing Site Blog is written by Kathy Quan, who has been an RN for more than 30 years and shares her experiences.
11. Head Nurse provides information on different situations that arise in a number of medical careers.
12. Call Bells Make Me Nervous looks at the adventures of a new nurse, and her look at medical careers and nursing today.
13. Impacted Nurse follows the exploits of an experienced male nurse.
14. Nursing Degree Guide is a good place to go to find information about getting a nursing degree and working in a medical career.
15. PixelRN blogs about the ups and downs of a nursing career.

Physician Blogs

Many physicians have blogs. You can read about what it’s like to be a doctor, and some anecdotes from a variety of medical fields.

16. A Change to Cut is a Chance to Cure looks at life and medicine from the perspective of a general surgeon.
17. RangelMD.com provides a look at the medical and health care industry, including regulations, career information and other issues.
18. DB’s Medical Rants offers insight into medical and health care issues, from a doctor’s point of view.
19. NHS Blog Doctor provides a look at health and health care, as well as explores the career of a doctor.
20. DoctorMental writes about his career as a physician, and adds thoughts on other issues facing the health care industry.
21. KevinMD.com provides information about medical trends, the industry and what it’s like to be a doctor.

Dentist Blogs

Learn what it is like to be a dentist, and learn how to look for dental jobs.

22. Dentist Job Blog provides a look at different jobs available for dentists, and where the hot markets for dentists are.
23. Pediatric Dentistry offers helpful information on what it’s like to be a pediatric dentist, and provides insight on different uses for dentistry.
24. Take Care Of Your Teeth provides information on dental hygiene and a look at practices in the dental medical field.
25. Dental Blogs is meant for those interested in the dental field. It provides a look at oral health, and some of the issues facing dentistry.
26. The Digital Dentist looks at how tecnology can enhance dental practices. This blog is aimed at helping career dentists accomplish more.
27. Brookside Dental’s Blog focuses on cosmetic dentistry. Information about careers and issues in a dental practice.

Medical Technician Blogs

Don’t want to become a doctor or a nurse, but still want to work in the medical field? Medical technician can be a great career.

28. The Student Radiographer follows a student technician and provides insights into the career.
29. Tomography Blog provides information about working as a medical technician as well as hosting a place where medical technicians can connect.
30. Cool MRI Stuff offers interesting information on health care, working as a medical technician and tips on living in general.
31. X-Ray Technician Blog looks at the ins and outs of being an x-ray technician, and includes information on jobs available to technicians.
32. Musculoskeletal and Orthopedic MRI focuses on different techniques that can help you improve your work as an MRI technician.
33. RadGirl Radiology Blog is written by a student embarking on a career as a technician. Interesting information on career outlooks as well.

Medical Transcription, Coding and Billing Blogs

You don’t have to actually be working on patients in order to have a medical career. You can provide support through medical transcription, coding and billing.

34. Medical Transcription Blog at the MT Herald offers a look at the job of being a transcriptionist and provides helpful hints for making a career of it.
35. Medical Transcription: What’s in it for you? focuses on tips and hints for becoming a successful medical transcriptionist.
36. Medical Transcription Blog provides information on becoming a transcriptionist, job outlook and earnings information.
37. Medical Billing Blog offers helpful information for those who want to be involved in medical billing, with a special emphasis on those with their own businesses.
38. Medical Coding and Billing looks at how you can find jobs as a coder or biller.
39. Medical Coding Blog focuses on how you can make medical coding a good career.
40. Medical Coding Journal offers information on compliance and billing, helping professionals with their careers.

The blogs are listed below in alphabetical order. This method assures our readers that we do not favor one blog over another. All blogs listed, however, are up-to-date and all information is provided by professionals in their fields.

1. Bioethics Discussion Blog: Dr. Bernstein has posted an issue about bioethics about once a month for several years. If you are aware of any ethical issues in medicine or biologic science, you also can write about them here.
2. Center for Global Development: Many diseases and quality of care are not localized. This site’s global health blog tackles ethics, news and reforms that affect global health issues.
3. ChangeNow4Health: ChangeNow4Health is a broad, grassroots coalition committed to improving the nation’s health care system through immediate action.



4. DB’s Medical Rants: Dr. Robert M. Centor “rants and pontificates” on medical problems, health care reform and more at his long-running blog.
5. DoctorPundit: DoctorPundit is a weblog about the policy of healthcare, edited by Michael Douglas, MD, MBA.
6. Future Healthcare: More than a blog – this news site offers podcasts, reviews, opinions and other materials that can help readers envision the future of health care and health care policy.
7. Guaranteed Healthcare Blog: This blog focuses on “Single Payer Guaranteed Healthcare for everyone in America…not just those who can afford it!” They are endorsed by the California Nurses Association and the National Nurses Organizing Committee.
8. Health Affairs Blog: Learn more about health affairs through regular contributors and guest authors as they engage readers in the health policy debate. Published since 1981 by the non-profit Project HOPE, this blog’s authors include top scholars, policymakers, and health care industry leaders.
9. Health Beat: Century Foundation fellow Maggie Mahar covers health news with an eye to ethics and reform. Maher is best known online for her review of Michael Moore’s documentary, Sicko.
10. Health Care Law Blog: Bob Coffield, a health care lawyer, brings his insights into health care, health care reform and the application of technology to the practice of law and medicine.
11. Health Care Policy and Marketplace Review: This is Bob Laszewski’s review of the latest developments in federal health policy and marketplace activities in the health care financing business.
12. Health Care Renewal: Several doctors contribute to this blog, which addresses “threats to health care’s core values, especially those stemming from concentration and abuse of power.” They request any information regarding violations to medical policies.
13. Health Policy and Communications Blog: This blog is an outgrowth of a business created by Dr. Miller, and was designed to foster discussion and analysis about how health policy and communications issues affect clinical and economic outcomes.
14. Health Wonk Review: If you want a wide variety of health policy blog writing, head to this site. Health Wonk Review is a biweekly compendium of the best of the health policy blogs.
15. HealthBlawg: David Harlow, author of this healthcare and policy blog, is a health care lawyer and consultant with over twenty years of public and private sector experience.
16. HealthLawProf Blog: Ms. Malloy is an Andrew Katsanis Professor of Law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. She writes about health law and how it pertains to health policy.
17. John Goodman’s Health Policy Blog: John Goodman founded the NCPA (National Center for Policy Analysis) in 1983 and has served as President and CEO since the center’s inception. His blog covers health care with a political slant.



18. Mayo Clinic Health Policy Blog: he Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center (HPC) blog provides updates about HPC activities and news, and is an “open forum intended to foster a rigorous discussion about health care reform topics.”
19. Medical Ethics Blog: Stuart Laidlaw has covered faith and ethics for over a decade, and he applies these attributes to a blog that covers health and health policies.
20. New Health Dialogue Blog: This blog is supported by the New America Foundation, nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy institute that focuses on relevant issues.
21. PNHP Blog: Physicians for a National Health Program’s blog serves to facilitate communication among physicians and the public. The views presented on this blog are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of PNHP.
22. Retired Doc’s Thoughts: Dr. Gaulte, who was trained in and who practiced internal medicine and pulmonary disease, takes a different perspective on health care reform – one from a retired physician who has experienced the health care field first-hand.
23. The Alan Katz Health Care Reform Blog: Katz, a past president of both the National and the California Association of Health Underwriters, blogs about health care reform.
24. The Health Care Blog: Get email updates of new posts and industry news concerning healthcare policies in general for the American public.
25. Workers’ Comp Insider: Lynch Ryan, a consulting firm, produces this knowledgeable blog about workers’ compensation, risk management, business insurance, workplace health and safety, occupational medicine, injured workers and more.

Interaction is what makes social media a bit different than Web 2.0. While Web 2.0 provides the tools for interaction between a user and a Web site, it may not provide the interaction required for a true “social” experience between the user and other users or site participants. For instance, teens and some adults who have disabilities and diseases such as cancer already use social-networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.com to connect with peers.

Social media is not “top down” information with little to no interaction. While government groups struggle to impart information such as the latest news about tainted peanut butter products through blogs, Twitter and other Web 2.0 tools, others know that this isn’t enough. When you impart information, you also must respond. It is the era of the consumer, and the consumer is in control.

While some government groups still struggle with social interaction, many grassroots groups and visionaries ‘get it.’ The following 25 sites — among many dozens of other consumer-oriented social media sites — provide venues for patients, advocates, medical personnel, and others to interact on a level playing field. These tools allow news to flow freely, collaboration to become second-nature and support to become as pandemic as the diseases that threaten today’s populations.

The following sites are listed alphabetically under each category. This methodology shows that we do not favor one site over another.

News and Information

Instead of top-down news and information, these sites provide information based upon user-generated input. You can read the latest news about any medical condition or offer and receive support and advice at these sites.

1. Healthranker: Health Ranker was founded by Israel Lagares and the main contributor to this health news site is Dr. Kalvin Chinyere. Both men are dedicated to making Healthranker the number one social media health news site. Its success depends upon you, however, as users are encourages to submit health news and articles from medical information publishers to health care bloggers to main stream media news sites.
2. OrganizedWisdom: This site launched in 2006, and has become a keystone social media site for health information. Organized Wisdom provides hand-crafted search result pages called WisdomCards for the most popular health search terms and phrases. Users can become guides and make money while helping others find information on this site and to create WisdomCards. OrganizedWisdom was named to PC Magazines “Top Web sites of 2008″ for bringing innovation to online health care.
3. PeoplesMD: PeoplesMD is the first niche social bookmarking site exclusively for the health and wellness category. Share your online health research and help others when you bookmark your favorite articles, blogs and Web sites and store them here in “Stacks.” These bookmarks are turned into visual collections for your own use and to help others find information.
4. Trusera: Seattle startup Trusera built a strong community while in testing mode in 2008, and founder Keith Schorsch says his site is more focused on practical advice than the competition. Schorsch, a former Amazon executive, says he was spurred to start the company after his struggle with Lyme disease. At Trusera, you can pose questions to people who’ve been there and get practical answers and insights from others just like you.

Fitness Tools

Plenty of sites offer tools for fitness, but the true test of a social media fitness site is interaction among users and experts. The following sites can provide this support, along with the tools you need to meet your fitness goals.

5. FitLink: Keep a workout journal, map running or cycling routes, plan activities, research exercises, calculate your body mass index, and read fitness articles. But, you don’t need to do it alone. You also can find activity partners, training groups, personal trainers, health clubs, fitness centers and even local events based upon your goals and interests.
6. GIMME20: Gimme20.com is an online fitness tool that provides users with community, workout routines, and the ability to track workouts and share workout routines with others in the community. You can report fitness results from the gym with their mobile phones, too.
7. GymClik: This site is new, but looks promising. Join for free and get in on the ground floor to develop or join groups in tune with your goals. Additionally, you can add your favorite recipes, find a local trainer, share videos and images and more.
8. Gyminee: You’ll discover detailed workout tracking, a way to monitor your diet, the ability to meet others with similar goals, online accountability and motivation through friends, groups and communities at Gyminee. This interaction may be what you need to reach your goals.
9. introPLAY: Join as a player and find other athletes who train together as part of the introPLAY community. This site may seem intimidating, but it’s for both casual and committed athletes who want tools to track sports activities, health information and more from a truly interactive community.
10. iStats: After you complete a workout such as a run, gym, soccer game or training simply enter the details of the workout (reps, weight, time etc.). Select from Imperial or Metric. Create your own exercise if you can’t find it. Review your workouts and invite friends to create exercise teams so you can work out together, share tips and compare results.
11. Limeade: This tool allows you to assess 28 dimensions of your life scientifically correlated with well-being, recommends personalized goals, and helps you achieve those goals with step-by-step tracking, programs and support from experts and friends.
12. PeerTrainer: This site will help you become accountable for yourself, supported by others in small online groups and teams. Take advantage of their Calorie Wiki, health, fitness and diet content and more. Join supportive communities and groups and share your wisdom as well.
13. Traineo: Get in on the ground floor with a site that is geared to make fitness simple. Use their tools to log your activity and diet and take advantage of community-building to snag some support for your goals. Choose among groups that challenge obstacles such as diabetes or that are built upon family support. If nothing seems to fit you, you can create your own group.

Patient Activism, Peer Care

The following sites provide users with real-time social interaction. You can receive home care, find a peer group for support, become an activist in national health care reform and more. These sites truly are social, providing ‘meeting places’ for patients, medical professionals and visionaries.

14. American Well: This is the nation’s first online house call program. This site provides a truly interactive setting, where patients find doctors who will treat you from a distance. American Well is committed to supporting health plans in meeting consumer and employer demand for affordable, efficient, and immediate access to quality care.
15. Daily Strength: Patients and caregivers dealing with hundreds of issues, including asthma, celiac disease and depression, can join a support community, start a wellness journal, share advice and recommend doctors, link to news stories and Web sites with disease information. You can send other members a virtual hug while you’re there.
16. Group Loop: Group Loop bills itself as a safe place for teens with cancer and their parents to build online community for support, education and hope while dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Teens can talk with other teens, parents with parents so teens can learn how to cope with daily life and this disease.
17. Health 2.0: This wiki is set up to serve “the community of visionaries, entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, policy makers, and professionals who are working on fundamentally redefining the healthcare industry along the lines of ‘Web 2.0.’” Don’t let the labels turn you off — this site is open for discussion. Take the challenge.
18. Mamaherb: At Mamaherb, people from all over the world can share their knowledge about herbs and other natural substances they’ve experienced as helpful, or even been tipped off about by their family members, friends, or even by their grandma. Join community to learn more about how you can use herbs safely.
19. MDJunction: This site supports an active center for online support groups, a place where patients meet every day to discuss feelings, ask questions and share hopes with others.
20. Patients Like Me: This site believes that when patients share real-world data, collaboration on a global scale becomes possible. New treatments become possible. Most importantly, change becomes possible. A truly interactive site, it appears that patients embrace the open sharing of personal health data because they believe that information can change the course of their diseases.
21. Real Mental Health: This was the first social networking site that focused on mental health treatment and wellness. Join online communities filled with individuals, families, loved ones and friends who want to interact and support each other through difficult and happy times. Obtain knowledge about symptoms and treatments, too, in topics such as addictions, ADHD, Alzheimer’s and more.
22. Real Self: Sometimes it takes a little nip and tuck to feel better. At Real Self, you will find comprehensive information about everything from Botox to Lasik to Zoom teeth whitening. Founded by Tom Seery in 2006, this site provides experts, many who are leading authorities in aesthetics, cosmetic surgery and dermatology, to participate on RealSelf.com without a commercial relationship or exchange of fees. Ask a question, get an answer. Easy.
23. RightHealth: Join active forums, get the latest mash-ups of medical news and watch the latest health videos. This site is fairly straightforward, easy to use and dedicated to giving every topic its own homepage.
24. Twit2Fit: If you want results and activism, choose Twitter to get going. Jason Falls experimented with Twitter to see how far he’d get in support for a fitness program, and his test blossomed into this Web site. “Twit2Fit members support and encourage those hoping to better themselves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.”
25. Vitals: Vitals represents a place where doctors are examined. Unlike other listings for medical professionals, this one allows users to chime in. You can check up on your doctor, find a new doctor and rate doctors that you know and have visited in the past. Your opinions could, literally, save a life.