Awareness, Health, NeedyMeds, Pediatrics

Autism Awareness Month

Evan O'Connor

April is Autism Awareness Month. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common but complex developmental disability, with 1 in 68 American children born somewhere on the autism spectrum. The signs of autism are usually apparent when a child is between 2 and 3 years old, although they may be seen in younger children. Symptoms are different for everyone, though some of the behaviors associated with autism include delayed learning of language; difficulty making eye contact or holding a conversation; difficulty with executive functioning (relating to reasoning and planning); narrow, intense interests; poor motor skills, and sensory sensitivities. A diagnosis of ASD is based on an analysis of all behaviors and their severity. The cause of autism is still being researched and debated, although doctors generally agree that the cause for autism spectrum disorder is unknown, but it is generally accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in brain structure or function.

Autism awareness remains an important goal as early intervention has shown positive results for those on the spectrum, but also to relieve the stigma of those with special

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HealthWeb Navigator, NeedyMeds

How to Find Reliable Health Information Online Without a Medical Degree

NeedyMeds

Over 70% of internet users go online to learn about their health. Research that a few decades ago only doctors could access can now be downloaded over Starbucks’ WiFi. And because the average doctor’s appointment lasts just 13–16 minutes, many see the internet as a free, convenient alternative to medical advice.

But convenience doesn’t come without costs.

Instant access to health information coincides with an increase in “cyberchondria,” or anxiety about poor health stemming from internet research. Worse, study after study shows online health content is frequently unreliable, inaccurate, or hard to read.

That’s why I want to use this post to teach you a simple test that can help you weed out bad health information online.

The T.R.A.A.P. framework asks you to examine five qualities of any information source: Timeliness, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose.

Any source with its salt will have each of one. Below we’ll look at them individually as well as some red flags to keep in mind.

5 Qualities of Reliable Health Information

“T” for Timeliness

Trustworthy websites review and update their content — and let their readers know.

It’s estimated

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Awareness, Diabetes, Health, Medicine Safety, NeedyMeds, Safety

Website Highlights Safe Disposal Options for Used Needles & Sharps

NeedyMeds

More and more communities across the country are encountering a commonly overlooked public health and safety issue: improper needle and sharps disposal.

“Sharps” is a medical term for devices with sharps points or edges that can puncture or cut skin. Examples of sharps are needles, syringes, lancets, auto injectors, epinephrine and insulin pens, infusion sets, and connection needles/sets.

The group of people who are put in the most danger by improper sharps disposal are environmental service workers – janitors, housekeepers, waste and recycling workers and sewage treatment workers. When a needle is tossed directly into the trash, it has the potential to stick whoever removes that trash. So the janitor may get stuck, the garbage-man may get stuck, and the waste-worker at the waste facility could get stuck. It is also possible for an animal to get to the needle or for it to tear through a trash bag. Any of these scenarios may ultimately expose the needle to neighbors and children. Such injuries cost thousands of dollars in medical testing and cause great stress on victims.

Sharps that are placed in the recycling can also

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Drug Discount Card, Health, NeedyMeds, Social Media and Healthcare

NeedyMeds in 2017

Evan O'Connor

We’re wrapping up 2017 here at NeedyMeds, and it’s been a big year for us. We celebrated twenty years of providing information to those in need and we have kept true to our original mission to provide information on programs that help people who can’t afford medications and healthcare costs.

We have helped over 57,000 on our toll-free helpline in 2017, and saved users over $44 million on their prescriptions with the NeedyMeds Drug Discount Card. This year we began a new partnership with Healthcare Storylines to bring you the NeedyMeds Storylines app—a free self-care smartphone app that makes it easy to track your healthcare including medication reminders, appointment calendar, daily mood tracker, and a digital copy of the NeedyMeds Drug Discount Card.

We presented over 50 online webinars this year, ranging from an overview to our website to special topics about mental health, being your own healthcare advocate, and countless others with some of our very special partners. You can see a list of all our upcoming 2018 webinars on our Webinars page.

NeedyMeds has grown from humble beginnings of two people

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Drug Discount Card, Healthcare Reform, NeedyMeds, Patient Advocate, Patient Assistance

20 Years of NeedyMeds

Evan O'Connor

NeedyMeds is celebrating twenty years since starting as a website for those seeking assistance with the high-costs of prescription medications. In 1997, Richard Sagall, MD, and Libby Overly, MSW, MEd, both realized a need for a centralized resource for information on pharmaceutical Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs). Over our first ten years, we gained 501(3)(c) non-profit status, introduced our PAPTracker software for advocates helping patients with PAP applications, and started our first newsletter Patient Advocate News (now known as Patient Assistance News; aka PAN).

In 2007, we began to expand the website from more than just Patient Assistance Programs to include government programs and other application assistance providers. The following year we grew to include databases of free/low-cost/sliding-scale clinics, coupons for medications, and other organizations that provide diagnosis-based assistance. The NeedyMeds Drug Discount Card started in 2009, saving users $560,000 in its first year nationwide. To date, the NeedyMeds Drug Discount

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