Become an Expert in Your Own Health

Download/Print PDF (105 KB)

Health care moves forward every day
Health care is changing rapidly as new diagnostic tests, drugs and treatments are developed each day. The challenge for consumers, physicians, nurses and hospitals is to stay on top of all the new advances and incorporate them into higher standards of care. If you have a medical problem, keeping up with changes in medicine is just as important to you.

Fortunately, organizations such as UK HealthCare that practice advanced medicine make it part of their work to conduct medical research; collect and evaluate information on new technology, drugs and devices; and keep consumers up to date.

Increased knowledge benefits patients
Increased health knowledge benefits consumers through:

• Better preparation for doctor and hospital visits.
• Greater involvement in medical decisions.
• Higher satisfaction with care.
• More confidence in ability to manage one’s own care.
• Stronger focus on family support.
• Less anxiety and more peace of mind.

Trusted sources of health information
Certain organizations are sought out for unbiased advice and information. They include organizations such as UK HealthCare that employ expert physicians, scientists and nurses and make it part of their mission to put patient information needs ahead of government, insurance and managed care needs.

Information sources at UK HealthCare
UK HealthCare makes health information available at no cost to the public through a number of channels. These include:

UK Health Connection: UK HealthCare’s call center, UK Health Connection, can help you find a family physician or a specialist. You can ask for information on a physician’s background – such as medical school, years of practice, languages spoken, insurance accepted, etc. – to help you make the best decisions possible. Call 859-257-1000 or toll free 1-800-333-8874 for information about any of these services or for an appointment with a UK HealthCare physician.

ukhealthcare.uky.edu: UK HealthCare’s Web site offers information on illnesses and conditions under the “Health Information” tab, and in-depth information on heart, cancer, neurosciences, pediatric, orthopaedics and maternity services under “Find Treatment.” Visit “Find a Doctor” for information on physicians and specialists affiliated with UK HealthCare or ask us to make an appointment for you.

HealthSmart!: Our HealthSmart! series of publications covers a variety of topics that can help you make wiser health care choices or more easily navigate our nation’s complex health care system. Topics available include:

• Getting a Good Second Opinion
• Managing Multiple Medical Problems
• Avoiding Medication Errors

HealthSmart! fact sheets are available online or via the mail.

UK House Calls: Our monthly newsletter provides useful information on using UK HealthCare’s health services, including notice of screenings, health lectures, health fairs and other events where you can discuss your needs and pick up information. Information is also provided about new clinical and patient care services. Call toll free 1-800-333-8874 to subscribe to this free publication.

Advances & Insights: UK HealthCare physicians and other experts discuss recent news regarding heart, cancer, neurosciences, pediatrics, women’s health and other topics every month. Read Advances & Insights in print or online to understand what new developments mean to you and how to act on the information. Call toll free 1-800-333-8874 to request hard copies of a specific issue or visit our Web site, ukhealthcare.uky.edu/publications/AI, to see all available issues. Become a mail or online subscriber, and receive new issues as they become available.

Health*Click: Visit our Web site to sign up for free e-mail notices of health news and events.

Gill Heart Line: The Gill Heart Institute Heart Line provides callers with the ability to ask registered
nurses heart-related questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our specially trained nurses can answer all types of heart-related questions and can even make appointments at the Gill Heart Institute for those who want or need one. The toll-free number is 1-877-445-5478.

Pregnancy Online/E-parenting newsletter: Expectant and new parents have a trusted resource to guide them through pregnancy, labor and delivery and the first year of their baby’s life – our weekly parenting e-mail. This free service offers pregnancy and childbirth information, news and resources – as well as announcements from our parent education staff, access to hospital classes and tour information – all delivered to your inbox. Subscribers receive information tailored to their week of pregnancy and then the age of their newborn. Sign up at ukhealthcare.uky.edu/newsletter.

PharmacistCare: Benefit from private one-on-one consultation with a UK pharmacist and from group
nutritional classes to manage chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Call toll free
1-800-333-8874 for more information or read more about the service online at www.mc.uky.edu/
pharmacistcare.

Health Information Library: Located inside UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital, our health library houses more than 5,000 books and pamphlets written for consumers. Patients and families can use the collection to learn about diagnostic tests, research an illness or sort out treatment options. The library is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, and offers Internet access as well as the assistance of medical librarians. For additional information, call 859-323-7808.

Support groups: UK HealthCare can connect you to more than 50 support groups that exist in this region to help meet the social and emotional needs of patients and their families. Most groups focus on a particular illness or issue such as AIDS, depression, cancer, chronic illness, nutrition and weight, sexual abuse, parenting, or transplantation. A comprehensive list can be found online at ukhealthcare.uky.edu.

Health lectures: UK HealthCare offers a variety of free educational lectures throughout the year to the general public. These lectures are conducted by top physicians in our organization with expertise in their given area. They are designed to give consumers more insight into “hot topics” in the medical field and to prevent injury and illness when possible. Examples of these lectures include joint reconstruction, information on radiation oncology, advances in women’s health, osteoporosis, stroke awareness and prevention, and heart health as well as many others. To view a list of our current lectures, visit ukhealthcare.uky.edu.

To make an appointment or find a physician, please call UK HealthCare at 859-257-1000 or toll free 1-800-333-8874.
Copyright © 2007, University of Kentucky, 800 Rose St., Lexington, Kentucky, USA 40536.

Send us Comments and Corrections. Terms, Conditions & Privacy and Accessibility Statements.
Page last updated Sunday, July 5, 2009 1:21 PM