by: Terri Ottosen, Consumer Health Outreach Coordinator, NN/LM SE/A

In a recent teleconference for the Regional Medical Libraries, Naomi Miller, Manager of Consumer Health Information at the National Library of Medicine, provided some interesting facts about MedlinePlus. Here are some highlights:

• Page views FY 2007: 906 million total (English and Spanish) 238 million (Spanish only)
• Unique visitors FY 2007: 120 million total (English and Spanish) 36 million (Spanish only)
• Number of email announcement list subscribers: over 97,700
• Number of health topics: 746 in English with 19,775 links and 712 in Spanish with 5,860 links
• Go Local sites: 22

Visitors to MedlinePlus come from a variety of countries, as illustrated below:

United States: 59%
Australia: 2-3 %( skewed by Uruguay)
Uruguay – anomaly (Spanish site usage)
All other countries – and there is a very long tail (200 total Liberia, Greenland, Mauritania) are less then 2% usage

New Search Engine: Vivisimo

MedlinePlus now has a new search engine. Recommendations from surveys and user feedback resulted in the implementation. The new search engine allows keyword highlighting, shows best results first and incorporates new features. Vivisimo features include: default display of all returned results, ranked by relevance, search by collection, phrase searching, Boolean operators, highlight words you searched in summary, rank ordering of results, spellchecker that suggests alternative search terms, and a health topic spotlight box. In addition, a new Go Local search will be implemented.

What’s Next?

A few topics in the works are: health literacy, Corticosteroids, Arteriovenous Malformation and more. An interactive tutorial on Post-traumatic stress disorder is coming and a Spanish language issue of the NIH MedlinePlus magazine. A few major releases are also in development, including a foreign language enhancement and a redesign of the homepage, colors, logos, etc.
To sign-up for MedlinePlus news feeds via RSS, just visit the “what’s new” section at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/whatsnew.html

Of course, questions and suggestions are always welcome; just click on the “Contact Us” on the homepage of MedlinePlus.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/milestones.html

September

• The What’s New on MedlinePlus page debuts. The page provides information on new MedlinePlus topics and features and has a corresponding RSS feed.
• Go Local expands its coverage with the addition of Health-E Illinois, serving the entire state of Illinois.
• NLM® Launches New Web Search Engine: NLM Web Site, MedlinePlus, MedlinePlus en Español both of which allow easier, more efficient navigation.

July

• My Health Minnesota → Go Local launches providing Minnesotans with a new way to find local health services.

June

• MedlinePlus was the top government news/information web site in the American Customer Satisfaction Index during the second quarter with a score of 87. MedlinePlus en español scored 85.
• MedlinePlus launches a Hispanic awareness campaign with Don Francisco, the television host of Sábado Gigante. The campaign features television and radio public service announcements which encourage Latinos to use MedlinePlus to learn about health and wellness. See the press announcement and more about the campaign.

March

• MedlinePlus offers new content on the English and Spanish Health Topic pages. Topic summaries and synonyms provide a quick introduction to each disease or condition while the image on each page provides visual interest. Reorganized subcategories and a redesigned table of contents improve page navigation. Learn more.

January

• Michigan Go Local launches, providing statewide directory of health services for the entire state of Michigan.

The monthly newsletter brings you practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research, is now online at http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/.

In this issue:

Watch Your Cholesterol: Why You Should Keep Your Blood Level in Check
You’ve heard that you should lower your cholesterol, but do you know why? Sometimes we tend to ignore advice when we don’t understand the reasons. That’s why it’s important to learn what cholesterol is, what it does in your body and why you need to make sure too much isn’t flowing in your blood.
Full story - http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2008/January/docs/01features_01.htm

The Cause of Achy Jaws?It May Be a TMJ Disorder
You need it for talking, chewing, smiling, yawning, laughing and singing. It’s the jaw joint—technically known as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)—one of the hardest working and most complex joints in your body. You usually don’t give it a second thought, and you usually don’t need to. But if something goes wrong, your TMJ can cause nagging pain and limit the flexibility of your jaw. In extreme cases, the pain can be long-lasting and debilitating.
Full story - http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2008/January/docs/01features_02.htm

Health Capsules: http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2008/January/docs/02capsules.htm

• Heart Attack Symptoms in Women
• Fit Seniors May Live Longer
• Featured Web Site: Tips for Teens with Diabetes

You can also click here: http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/pdf/NIHNiH%20January08.pdf to download a PDF version for printing.

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