Patient information page template

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Charmaine Patel, M.D. [2]

Introduction to the Patient Information Page

• The title of the page should be: Disease name (patient information). Only the first letter of the heading is capitalized.
• Goal: of the patient information page is to provide a patient with a comprehensive description of the disease. It should be written at a 5th to 8th grade reading level, and if medical terminology is used, it should be explained.
• Examples of patient information pages that are good references, are the pages on Chronic stable angina here, and Pericarditis here.
• As with all microchapter pages, you need to link to the main page. At the top of the edit box put {{CMG}} and your name template (if you have contributed a significant amount to the page). Before this section create a link back to the main page by typing in the edit box For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click [[Disease name|here]]. Bold this statement.
• Follow the format, headings, and capitalizations of letters as outlined below in the template.
• Create the page in the second person perspective eg "You should call your doctor if you experience....." or "You may experience symptoms such as...."
• It should be noted that the patient information pages will ideally be created by taking the content directly from the http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/.

Using a Patient Information Page Template

• You should use the patient information navigation template for your page, which can be obtained by clicking here.
  • Click on the edit tab, and copy all of the text in the edit box.
  • Type into the main wikidoc search box "template:(disease name) patient information".
  • Click on where it says "create the page (disease name)patient information here".
  • Click on the edit box, and paste in all of the information.
  • The top of the edit box has two blank boxes, the top one with binocular icons next to it, and the bottom one with red arrows next to it. In the top box put "(condition)", and in the bottom box type the name of the disease page you are creating, with the first letter capitalized.
  • Click on the red arrows at the right side of the bottom box, and continue to click on it until you get to end of the edit box. This will put the disease name in the correct microchapter navigation boxes.
  • Click save at the bottom of the edit box.
• Now search for the patient information page you want to create, and click where it says "create the page (disease name)(patient information)" on this wiki!
• Type into the edit box {{disease name (patient information)}}
• To copy and paste the headings template for the patient information page, click here

Overview

• This section should give a brief description of the disease, and have the name of the disease in the first sentence.
• For an example of the overview section of a patient page, click here

What are the symptoms of (disease name)?

• Here you can list the symptoms that the patient may notice. Remember that signs are different from symptoms.
• For an example of the symptoms section in a patient information page, click here.

What causes (disease name)?

• Here you can list the causes of the disease. Remember this is what causes the disease, not what the disease causes.
• For an example of the causes section on a patient information page, click here.

Who is at highest risk?

• Here you can list, or write in sentences, the most common risk factors for developing the disease.

• This section can be separated into modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors if appropriate.

• For an example of a risk factors section on a patient information page, click here.

Diagnosis

• In this section you can outline what the patient might expect to encounter as far as diagnostic studies.

• List the types of studies with a brief description, as well as blood tests, urine tests, pertinent portions of the physical examination etc.

• For an example of a diagnosis section on a patient information page, click here.

When to seek urgent medical care?

• This section should focus on the symptoms that may indicate impending life threatening situations, or significant worsening.

• For an example of a section detailing this on a patient information page, click here

Treatment options

• In this section you should outline the treatment options, including medications, lifestyle changes, and surgical interventions.

• Advise the patient to always follow the treatment plan that their doctor has provided them.

• For an example of a treatment section of a patient information page, click here.

Where to find medical care for (disease name)?

• In this section you can provide links for reputable places that the patient can find good treatment for there condition.

Prevention

• In this section, outline the factors that can prevent the onset of the disease, or prevent worsening of the disease.

• For an example of the prevention section of a patient information page, click here.

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

• In this section you should provide a brief statement of what the patient might expect as the prognosis of their condition.

• Include prognosis with and without treatment, and also the likelihood of a certain outcome occurring.

• For an example of the prognosis section on a patient information page, click here.

Possible complications

• In this section, you can list the common and most important (life-threatening) complications of the disease or it's treatment.

• For an example of the complications section in a patient information page, click here.

Sources

• Put the sources for your information here.

• The National Library of Medicine is a good source to reference for patient information pages: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/.

Things to Remember

• Include a link back to the physician page at the top of the page.
• Always put {{CMG}} at the top of every page.
• Never take content directly from a source without checking copyright.
• Place your patient page in the patient information category as well as any other doctor categories the condition may fit into. To place a category onto a page, use the following code:
  • [[Category:Patient information]]
• As with all WikiDoc pages, create hyperlinks for key words and diseases. However, make sure that the hyperlinks link to other patient's information pages and not to regular WikiDoc pages.
  • Example: Heart failure should be linked to [[Congestive heart failure (patient information)]] and not to [[Heart failure]].

Template:WikiDoc Sources