National Library of Medicine debuts online resource
The National Library of Medicine (NLM), a medical library and a component of the National Institutes of Health, has launched MedlinePlus Connect, an online resource for accessing information from its MedlinePlus.gov website.
The free service allows health organizations and health IT providers to link patient portals and EHR systems to Medline Plus, a source of health information for patients, families and healthcare providers. MedlinePlus covers a range of health conditions and wellness issues, and includes resources to inform patients about their health, NLM stated.
Patients using portals and providers using EHRs that have implemented MedlinePlus Connect can access health information on MedlinePlus that is directly related to diagnoses, medications and lab tests.
"To use MedlinePlus Connect, an organization should contact their EHR vendor or work with their in-house technical staff to follow the instructions in the technical documentation," the NLM stated. The MedlinePlus Connect link needs to be installed only once and the NLM maintains vocabulary mappings and topic links on a regular basis.
MedlinePlus Connect is compatible with any health IT system that uses the HL7 Infobutton Standard, according to the agency. MedlinePlus Connect is not a replacement for MedlinePlus; it is a value-added service to bring MedlinePlus content to EHR systems and patient portals, according to the NLM.
The free service allows health organizations and health IT providers to link patient portals and EHR systems to Medline Plus, a source of health information for patients, families and healthcare providers. MedlinePlus covers a range of health conditions and wellness issues, and includes resources to inform patients about their health, NLM stated.
Patients using portals and providers using EHRs that have implemented MedlinePlus Connect can access health information on MedlinePlus that is directly related to diagnoses, medications and lab tests.
"To use MedlinePlus Connect, an organization should contact their EHR vendor or work with their in-house technical staff to follow the instructions in the technical documentation," the NLM stated. The MedlinePlus Connect link needs to be installed only once and the NLM maintains vocabulary mappings and topic links on a regular basis.
MedlinePlus Connect is compatible with any health IT system that uses the HL7 Infobutton Standard, according to the agency. MedlinePlus Connect is not a replacement for MedlinePlus; it is a value-added service to bring MedlinePlus content to EHR systems and patient portals, according to the NLM.