For many patients, checking out symptoms and medical concerns online is a regular part of the information gathering process. But wading through dozens of Internet search results can also be frustrating: Which ones are the most accurate? Unbiased? Safe to follow?
To help patients get reliable information about common and not-so-common health problems, the CWC PCN developed the Health Guide Program as a resource for patients of the PCN. It includes two resources to help patients with self-care, self-management, and decision-making on health concerns:
• The Health Guide Handbook is packed with 350 pages on more than 200 common health problems. The guide includes information on prevention, home treatment, and guidance on when to seek medical attention. Better still, the guide is filled with links to the accompanying Online Health Guide, giving patients access to more detailed information online.
• The Online Health Guide is an online tool on the CWC PCN website that includes information on more than 4,000 health topics. Features include a drug interaction checker, decision points, symptom checker, and illustrations.
CONTACT: Access the Online Health Guide through www.makinghealthhappen.com. The handbook is available to PCN patients as well as those within the PCN boundary who don’t have a family physician.
A Success Story from our PCN
It's still too early to tell whether the new CWC PCN Health Guide will help patients decide when and where to access health care services. But soon after the pilot project started, one Calgary resident was so impressed with her friend's copy of the guide that she contacted the CWC PCN to request one for herself. Even though she's not a patient of this PCN, *Jane immediately saw the value in the handbook and wanted a copy of her own. 
Read more.