There s a lot of hype on TV and in magazines about new medical discoveries, and often they re not yet tested or reliable and they turn out not to be of much help, Patterson said. On the Net it s especially important to be able to separate the good from the bad, he said. Melton said people often come to the library after they or relatives have been diagnosed with a disease. You can sense they re distraught and frightened, so we do our best to support them and gently guide them to the best information. Our appointment with the specialist is six weeks off and we needed to understand diabetes now.
Doctors are busy and don t have time to teach patients all about it.
And the staff here has been so helpful. The help even included information about where to get the best prices on drugs, she said. Library staffers do not diagnose ailments or prescribe treatments, Patterson stressed, but they will do hands-on research with clients and copy any documents needed. People unable to get to the library, are urged to call 608-5913 and staff members will do the research and mail the information to them. Library visitors look for information on subjects as wide-ranging as arthritis, diabetes, heart surgery, gallstones and fibromyalgia, said volunteer Herb Robisch.