Give your patients the accurate, comprehensive information they need to make smart choices about their health care. You and your patients will use the same evidence-based recommendations to make the right decisions together. Easy-to-understand educational information with visual graphics gives you the tools to educate patients on their condition and help meet patient-specific education Meaningful Use Stage 1 requirements. We’ve expanded our database of articles – there are now nearly 1,500 articles you can email, print or review together with your patients.
Improving communication, improving care
Clinicians who use UpToDate Patient Information tell us it saves them time and helps them communicate more effectively with their patients. Patients who use it tell us it helps them improve their own care and become more confident about their choices. In fact, our patient information materials are designed to promote shared decision making between clinicians and patients, a practice that often leads to better outcomes.
We publish two types of articles specifically for patients, plus, with a specially priced subscription, unlimited access to the same professional-level materials clinicians use:
- The Basics (Figure 1) — These articles are one to three pages and written according to the principles of Plain Language. They answer the four or five most important questions a person might have about a medical problem and are perfect for readers who want a general overview. These articles are available only to UpToDate subscribers. Browse the samples of “The Basics” level content below:
- Beyond the Basics (Figure 2) — These articles are five to ten pages and more detailed than The Basics. Beyond the Basics are best for readers who want detailed information and are comfortable with technical medical terms. All Beyond the Basics articles are available to everyone, free of charge. For more information, or to search for a particular topic, visit our Benefits for Patients page.
Refer your patients to the free patient site featuring our Beyond the Basics level content by writing an information prescription or installing a free patient search widget on your website.
- UpToDate professional-level information — Professional-level information is designed to keep health care professionals up-to-date on the latest medical findings. These articles are thorough and complex and contain references to the underlying research. Professional-level articles are best for people who are comfortable with medical terminology and who want to read the same materials as their clinicians. Patients can purchase weekly or monthly subscriptions to access our professional level information.
Want to learn more about UpToDate Patient information?
Read our Patient Information FAQs for information about finding articles, reading levels, and more.