UpToDate offers hundreds of patient education topics about the
most common medical conditions and procedures. These topics encapsulate
the same information included in the materials provided for clinicians.
As such, they give readers the information they need to actively
participate in decisions related to their care.
Goals and objectives
For healthcare providers, our goal is to provide patient
education materials that can be easily accessed and used with patients
at the point of care, enabling shared medical decision making.
For patients, our aim is to provide information that can answer
medical questions and help the patient make informed medical decisions
in partnership with their family and healthcare team.
UpToDate patient information topics
Patients have varying information needs. Some want just a brief
overview, while others want more in-depth information. UpToDate meets
the varying information needs of patients by offering both The Basics
and Beyond the Basics:
The Basics — These topics are 1-3 pages in length and
are written in simple language. They answer the four or five most
important questions that a person might have about a medical problem.
The Basics topics are best for readers who want a general overview.
Beyond the Basics — These topics are 5-10 pages long and
are more detailed than the topics in The Basics. Beyond the Basics
topics are best for readers who want a lot of detailed information and
who are comfortable with some technical medical terms.
Our patient information topics also offer:
Integrated full-color pictures, graphics, and charts to help
the reader understand difficult medical concepts
Extensive referencing, with links to topic abstracts
Links to other related topics and related search terms in
UpToDate
Update schedule and editorial review
Like our clinician-level materials, patient information topics
are updated continuously, so they reflect the most recent medical
literature. All patient information topics are written by professional
medical writers with advanced degrees, and then edited by our in-house
physician editors. They are also reviewed by an external physician
author and section editor. Thus, our patient information is current,
accurate, and evidence-based.
Accessing UpToDate patient
information
Clinicians can access patient information topics as follows:
Through the search facility add the words 'patient info' to your
search query (for example, search on "patient info asthma").
Or when viewing search results in UpToDate on the web, in the left
hand navigation click on Patient to prioritize patient
information topics to the top of your search results list.
After logging in, click Patient Info on the
toolbar, then click on the medical category of interest.
This feature is not available on UpToDate for iPhone. Additionally, for the desktop
application, the Patient Info option must be configured to show on the toolbar.
Click Patient in the topic tools area at
upper-right in a topic to go directly to the Information for Patients
section, where you will find links to any related patient information
topics.
Note: The Patient tool is
available only in professional-level topics for which there is related
patient information.
Our Beyond the Basics patient information topics are also
available free to the public at www.uptodate.com/patients.
Patients can search for information using the search facility. Patients
can also click on "view patient-level table of contents" directly below
the Search box to view all of our patient information topics by medical
category.
How does UpToDate for Patients differ from other online medical
information resources?
UpToDate is the trusted resource of hundreds of thousands of
physicians around the world and the majority of academic medical centers
in the US. UpToDate has also been endorsed by leading medical societies
in the United States. These subscribers and societies recognize the high
quality and value of UpToDate's information.
What makes UpToDate different?
A rigorous editorial and peer-review process to ensure the
clarity and accuracy of the content.
Participation by over 4,800+ expert physicians in writing and
editing the content.
A continuous updating process to ensure that all content
represents current practices based on the most recent medical evidence.
UpToDate accepts no advertising or sponsorships, a policy that
helps to ensure that UpToDate's content remains unbiased by any
commercial interests.
Key features of UpToDate patient information
Two levels of information, The Basics and Beyond the Basics,
to meet the varying information needs of patients.
Enables patients to:
Learn more about a medical condition.
Better understand management and treatment options.
Share in the medical decision-making process with their
health care provider and actively participate in their care.
Saves time and improves patient communication.
Patient information is evidence-based and concordant with the
information that clinicians use and trust.
With UpToDate patient information, clinician communications
and patient handouts will be aligned.
Adheres to The Joint Commission standards for supporting the
patient's ability to understand and act on health information, through
the use of plain language principles and pictures to illustrate
procedures and/or conditions.
Can support clinicians' efforts to meet Meaningful Use
criteria regarding patient education. UpToDate patient information can
be accessed through EMRs and other clinical information systems.
Can patients access UpToDate's professional-level
topics?
Yes, patients can subscribe to gain full access to UpToDate's
professional-level content. Both one-week and one-month subscriptions
are available. Subscribers receive a user name and password that permit
access to UpToDate from any computer with Internet access.
Can I purchase individual professional-level topics?
Professional-level topics are not available for individual
purchase. Subscriptions provide access to the entire database, so that
you can access all of UpToDate's applicable information
relating to a condition.
Do you offer patient information in other languages?
We do not offer patient information in other languages. The
"Where to get more information" section of each topic often lists
websites that have high-quality information in other languages.
We welcome links to our website, including links to our home
page, patient information topics, and professional-level previews. See
our linking policy.
Can I contact UpToDate regarding questions about my health?
The discussions in UpToDate patient information are for your general information and are not a substitute for medical advice. You should contact your physician or other healthcare provider with any questions about your health, treatment, or care, or to discuss the information you have read in UpToDate. Please do not contact UpToDate or the physician authors of these materials.
Can I access patient information on UpToDate for iPhone?
Yes. Patient Information is available to all UpToDate users and is viewable on UpToDate for iPhone.
In the app, Patient Information is accessed by selecting the Patient tab within the search results.
