Millions of Americans Turn to the Internet
For Health Concerns
Two local Kaiser Permanente facilities are undergoing reconstructive surgery priced at $28.6 million.
Kaiser said the expansion and remodeling aims to improve patient care.
A 24,000-square-foot expansion at its outpatient facility on Vandever Avenue in Mission Valley was recently completed, Kaiser said.
The expansion includes a sleep clinic, neurodiagnostic laboratory and neurology department. The services will no longer be available at nearby Zion Hospital.
At Zion, meanwhile, the fifth floor is undergoing remodeling to make room for 52 new beds.
A Kaiser spokeswoman said the beds are designated for surgery patients, whose numbers have been rising steadily.
Kaiser hopes to place 26 beds by the end of the year and the remaining beds by the spring of 2002.
As a result of the expansion, more than 52 new jobs will open this summer.
More nurses and clerical staff will be needed to care for the higher volume of patients, said Sylvia Wallace, a local Kaiser spokeswoman.
At Vandever, work continues on expanding several departments.
The bulk of the expansion is taking place on the first floor, encompassing the pharmacy, laboratory and radiology department.
Kaiser will add another pharmacy on the second floor to reduce waiting times for new prescriptions and refills.
“One pharmacy will probably be refills only,” said Kaiser’s local spokeswoman Sylvia Wallace. “The other one will be new prescriptions only.”
In addition, the obstetrics/gynecology department will be moved to the second floor from the fourth floor.
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Filtering Internet Health News:
Almost 100 million Americans are consulting health-related Web sites to learn about drugs, treatments and healthier living, according to a recent survey by the Journal of the American Medical Association.
A majority, some 70 percent, use the information to make treatment decisions.
This is according to findings by RAND, a non-profit group that helps improve policy and decision-making through research.
RAND analyst Dr. Gretchen Berland, who led the study, advises Internet surfers to proceed with caution.
“The Internet is still in its formative stages and has tremendous potential as an information resource for patients and health care providers alike,” Berland said.
Things to keep in mind when surfing the “health net:” Answers to important health questions are often incomplete on Internet sites; question the accuracy of information and look for contradictions; patience is key, because search engines and search words can produce irrelevant information; some information may not make sense to the average consumer.
Surfing tips for better results include: Allow ample time for answers; visit four to six sites to get a comprehensive picture of a condition; talk to your health care provider before making treatment decisions.
The full report can be downloaded at the California HealthCare Foundation Web site at (www.chcf.org).
Send health care news to mwebb@ sdbj.com.
