Consumer health basics

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    Medical credentials and degrees explained

    Confused by the credentials for doctors, nurses and physician assistants? Get definitions of common credentials and learn why they matter.

    Article

    After a flood, are food and medicines safe to use?

    After a flood, don't eat foods or take medications that have come into contact with flood water or contaminated water.

    Answer

    Do you have a living will?

    Life-threatening situations can happen to anyone, so it's important to have a living will or other advance directive. These documents spell out your preferences regarding medical treatments you would or would not want to keep you alive. You can also outline your preferences for other medical decisions, such as pain management or organ donation. By planning ahead, you can get the medical care you want and save your family from having to make tough decisions in a crisis.

    HealthTip

    Age isn't a barrier to organ donation

    Interested in registering as an organ donor but worried that you're too old? Don't be. There's no defined cutoff age for donating organs. The decision to use a donor's organs is based on strict medical criteria, not age, and is made by doctors at the time of death.

    HealthTip

    Emergency health information: Keep your personal and family records within reach

    Emergency preparedness includes making sure you can quickly access critical health information for you and your family.

    FirstAid

    Create a family health record

    Prepare for a family emergency by gathering important details about your family's health. For each person, gather the following information: medical conditions, allergies, medications, blood type, doctor's name and phone number, and insurance information. Also include advance directives, the legal documents that outline your decisions about health care, such as whether to use life-support machines.

    HealthTip

    Web savvy: Choose health sites with care

    The web is awash with health information, but how can you duck the quacks? Use this checklist to evaluate what you find online: 1. Check dates. Search for the most recent information you can find. 2. Check the source. Look for articles that refer to published medical research and have been reviewed by qualified professionals. 3. Double-check what you find. Visit several sites and compare information.

    HealthTip

    Personal health records and patient portals

    Personal health records and patient portals make it easy to access your medical information using your computer or smartphone.

    Article

    Organ donation: Don't let these myths confuse you

    This practice saves lives, but wrong ideas surround it. Get the facts about being an organ donor.

    Article

    Osteopathic medicine: What kind of doctor is a D.O.?

    You know what M.D. means, but what does D.O. mean? What's different and what's alike between these two kinds of health care providers?

    Answer
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