Introduction...

Thank you for enrolling in the Internet Health Care Research distance education course. This Internet-based class is similar to the "traditional" one-unit course that I developed at California State University and through Butte College. This course is designed to provide an overview of the computer resources available for the health professional, or anyone else with a need to perform health-related research. We will be working at our own pace on our home or office computers from materials at this site. During the next month you will learn about many aspects of Internet and computer-related healthcare research.

Performing effective research on a computer is essential for the health professional, and can also be very useful for anyone who needs to find out about a specific ailment. Every year there are over 380,000 medical journal articles published in the United States. It is simply impossible for the average health care professional to keep track of all of this information by using paper copies of the journals. Besides health journal articles, we will learn how to find specialized software, databases case studies, clinical trials, health-related newsgroups, employment resources and other research materials on the Internet.

Benefits of taking this course:

You will learn many aspects and approaches to online health research at your own pace on a convenient computer. We have provided you with an instant reference to the major health-related research in the Course Materials section, and explained the best ways to find additional online information. As a bonus for taking this course, you also have access to my site on how anyone can save money on their medical expenses. This section has information about receiving free health care through the Hill-Burton Act, pharmaceutical assistance programs, self-diagnostic resources and much more. go to http://www.csuchico.edu/~csu/course/savings.html

If you have any questions, feel free to telephone me at (916) 716-1608, or you can e-mail me at

Exercises:

By the end of this class, please e-mail me an essay of 600-1,200 words that covers the following details:

1. Explore this entire site and work through the modules and activities. Try the exercises and discuss what you found to be useful. Describe a personal or professional use that you would have for online healthcare research.

2. Examine and research all of the case studies in the Course Materials section and determine the best procedure for the described individuals to follow. Write up an answer for each as part of your 1,200 word essay.

3. Don't hesitate to e-mail or telephone me if you have any questions or comments. I am also willing to look at rough drafts of your papers and offer feedback and suggestions. Once again, focus your time and energy on this 600-1,200 word essay (especially if you need the BRN re-licensure credit). The modules from this course are for your practice, don't keep e-mailing me with the individual exercises.

4. Plan on spending 3-8 hours trying out the Online Medical Research site, exploring all of the features on this disc and writing your 600-1,200 word essay.

Here is a sample of essays written by other students in this course.

I'm your instructor Rick Sheridan. I have taught a variety of computer-related classes at California State University and Butte College for over five years. My medical background includes working for the University of Wisconsin Medical School's Computer Support Department and producing three medical training videos as a graduate student. I also developed the Internet Healthcare Research at Chico State and Butte College several years ago. Don't hesitate to call (916) 716-1608 or e-mail me if you have any questions about the course.

© 2004 by Rick Sheridan