Doctor Jessica Pullen arrives this month!
We are excited to welcome Dr. Pullen to our office this July. We think you will find her a great fit for your WCJC care team!
Dr. Pullen grew up in Louisiana, attended medical school at Louisiana State University, and completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa.
She spends her free time with her husband and three children and loves all things outdoors- swimming, hiking, biking, and kayaking.
She loves building relationships with her patients and specializes in low-intervention childbirth. She is now accepting new patients!
Call to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jessica Pullen at 913-491-4020
Dr. Sharon Maturo’s Tips on Medical Advice From The Internet
One thing I have noticed in recent years is that my patients have done a good deal of homework on the internet before I see them. You ask some pretty outstanding questions! This, in turn, has increased my need for the occasional Google search during appointments.
We are always thrilled when you are as interested in your health as we are. However, there are many times when ‘Dr. Google’ creates confusion and fear that is unnecessary. Several health-related websites have disorganized information that is sometimes just plain wrong. Search topics can be overly-technical and might be hard to figure out. With so much to wade through, how do you tell good from bad and know what is true or not?
Two of the most important questions to ask yourself are:
- How can I be sure if this information is reliable?
- What should I take away or believe, based on the information I found?
Remember that the first and best answer when searching for medical information online is not always the first one you find. It very much depends on where you look. We all know that if something has been viewed millions of times on TikTok, that does not necessarily make it true. Many health-related myths are perpetuated this way online. Good headlines are designed to get clicks and may be hard to resist reading. If the information seems to be more fiction than fact—just move on.
If something seems too good to be true, if it is scary and sensational, or if it is a forum website full of people asking and answering each other’s questions, take all these with an extra grain of salt.
Reliable medical information is often sponsored by not-for-profit groups with a web address ending in .org or .gov. If the site is selling something, this is a red flag!
Quality Resources
A good habit is to turn that interesting answer you found into a new question for Google, and then expand your search from there. Also, don’t forget to look for more than one source for your answer. There should be multiple reliable sources confirming the information if it is true.
If you just can’t resist Googling everything you feel you need to know this very minute (we all do it!) … consider looking for answers with this list of websites trusted by doctors and patients alike. You might consider adding bookmarks for some of these resources.
Women’s Health/Pregnancy
www.acog.org/womens-health
www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/index.html
www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy
www.cdc.gov/pregnancy/index.html
www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week
General Medical Knowledge
https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-care-and-health-information
www.nih.gov/health-information
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health
www.medlineplus.gov
Heart Health/Diabetes Information
www.heart.org/en/health-topics
www.diabetes.org
www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/materials_for_patients.htm
Medication Resources
https://www.drugs.com/
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/women/use-medicines-wisely
Remember – if you are not sure your research is accurate, asking your doctor is always best. We can help and would love to schedule time to discuss your concerns.
Be sure to check out PART 2 of this series in our next Newsletter: Medical Myths: Where Fear and Worry Collide.