Project Overview
Information Rx, the "Information Prescription Project," is a free program offered by NLM to physicians and patients for referral to MedlinePlus - a trusted and reliable consumer health information resource. The goal is to have MedlinePlus be the web site your doctor prescribes. This national campaign, launched in 2004, is a collaborative effort between the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the American College of Physicians (ACP) Foundation as one possible answer to the health literacy challenge that affects nearly half of all American adults.
Physicians can use the Information Rx prescription pad to direct their patients to MedlinePlus content, in English or Spanish. The physician's objective may be to help a patient prevent a debilitating illness, understand a new diagnosis, become comfortable with a new treatment plan, or simply learn to better manage a chronic condition. Participating physicians tell us an information prescription helps improve patient communication, encourages compliance, and reduces the number of poor quality Internet searches that patients sometimes do on their own. In other words, it can save valuable time, empower patients, and enhance the quality and outcome of an interaction -- during an office visit and after a patient returns home. For individuals without ready access to a computer with an Internet connection, NLM's National Network of Libraries of Medicine will work with local physicians and health sciences libraries to provide these individuals with access to MedlinePlus and any needed instruction. Free internet access is available at most public libraries.
Getting Started
Follow this guide for a successful implementation of Information Rx. Your initial step is to order samples of the Information Rx Materials. Having a sample of each Information Rx product will help you and the physicians determine which products are best suited for their use.
Next, use the table of contents to move through each step of the guide.
• Promotion to Patients and their Families at Hospitals
• Promotion to Public Libraries and Community Groups
