John DeKeyser, MD
Endometriosis
Fibroids
Hysterectomy
Infertility
Pelvic Pain
Pregnancy Loss
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UpToDate helps a busy Ob/Gyn answer questions outside his specialty
“Patients can look up information on a whole range of medical topics; the information in UpToDate is reliable, as opposed to the questionable content patients sometimes find on some Internet sites.”
John DeKeyser, MD, has a solo Ob/Gyn practice in Anchorage, Alaska. He encourages his patients to be actively involved in their own care and directs them to UpToDate to reinforce that message.
Dr. DeKeyser uses the UpToDate patient education pads to refer patients to www.uptodate.com/patients during office visits. "I write a specific search term that's appropriate for them: pelvic pain, fibroids, endometriosis, hysterectomy, infertility, etcetera, and tell them they should go to UpToDate to learn more," he said.
Sometimes Dr. DeKeyser also provides his patients with physician-level topics, if appropriate. "Many times patients have a choice of treatment options," said Dr, DeKeyser. "UpToDate gives them the information they need to ask informed questions to ensure the treatment plan is right for them." As an example, Dr. DeKeyser had a discussion with a patient with recurrent pregnancy loss, to whom he had given an UpToDate topic during a previous visit. "During our conversation it was clear that she had read and understood the information and benefited from it," he said. "She knew what to expect, and understood her options. She also learned why some things, which she heard might be helpful, were actually shown not to be helpful, based on evidence."
As is the case with many gynecologists, some of Dr. DeKeyser's patients also come in with general health concerns or other issues more commonly seen in a primary care or internal medicine practice. "Patients expect answers to their questions, even if it's about shoulder pain or some other concern outside my area of expertise," said Dr. DeKeyser. He uses UpToDate to familiarize himself with the latest information on the condition, and then directs patients to UpToDate for Patients so they can learn more. "Patients can look up information on a whole range of medical topics; the information in UpToDate is reliable, as opposed to the questionable content patients sometimes find on some Internet sites."
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Provider Stories
