NDDIC News

What's New in CHID?

The Combined Health Information Database (CHID) is produced by health-related agencies of the Federal Government. This database provides the titles, abstracts, and availability of health information and health education resources. NDDIC maintains the digestive diseases section of the database, which includes information about books, pamphlets, videos, journal articles, and manuals on a variety of digestive disease topics. NDDIC continually adds new materials to CHID; following are brief examples of recent additions. To search CHID for materials on specific topics, go to chid.nih.gov on the Internet.

Directory of Plain Language Health Information

The reading level of patient education materials is often higher than that of the people who need the materials. This directory lists "plain language" patient education materials. An extensive introductory chapter describes how these materials are evaluated and offers specific information about the best strategies to use to create plain language materials. Each piece of health information in the directory is rated to help readers choose materials. The directory has three parts. Part I lists health subjects, part II lists organizations and their contact information, and part III provides an alphabetical list of all the organizations in part II.

Available from the Canadian Public Health Association, 400–1565 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1Z 8R1; 613–725–3769. Price: $14.25, U.S. currency (plus shipping and handling). Also available free of charge at www.pls.cpha.ca on the Internet.

Food Labels: How To Use Them

This brochure offers information on food labels and how to use them to track calories and fat in the daily diet. It recommends that when people shop for groceries, they take the time to compare the labels on the different brands of food to see whether their favorites are the healthiest choices. The brochure largely consists of a copy of the Nutrition Facts label, with each part assigned a letter code. Also included is a chart that lists health claims and that notes which words can be used on the food label.

Available from Hope Publications, 350 East Michigan Avenue, Suite 301, Kalamazoo, MI 49007–3851; 616–343–0770 (website: www.hithope.com). Price: 59 cents each for 10 to 99 copies; 49 cents each for 100 to 299 copies.

In Symphony

This brochure reminds health care providers that the shortage of donor organs means that they must work with local organ procurement organizations to help make transplantation a viable option. Offering statistics about the waiting list for organ transplantation, In Symphony then reviews related issues. Who can be considered as a donor and which tissues and organs can be donated are discussed, as are the use of living donors, the success rates of organ transplantations, brain death criteria, and family reaction to organ donation. Also tackled are the administration of organ donation and transplantation in the United States, the allocation of organs, the way families are offered the option of organ donation, the cost considerations, and the health care professional's legal responsibility regarding organ and tissue donation.

Available from United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), 1100 Boulders Parkway, Suite 500, P.O. Box 13770, Richmond, VA 23225–8770; 1–888–894–6361 or 804–330–8541. Price: 70 cents each; bulk copies available.

Tattoos and Body Piercing: Protecting Yourself From Hepatitis and HIV

One in a series entitled "Making Good Decisions," this brochure offers young people information about tattoos and body piercing, focusing on reducing the risk of hepatitis and HIV transmission. The brochure recommends that young people recognize the risks of body piercing or tattooing, use only a professional tattooist or piercer, make sure tattoo inks are not shared or reused, and make sure the tattooist or piercer sterilizes all equipment and uses a new, disposable needle for each customer.

Available from Journeyworks Publishing, P.O. Box 8466, Santa Cruz, CA 95061; 1–800–775–1998 (website: www.journeyworks.com). Price: $15 for a packet of 50; discounts available for larger orders.

Digestive Diseases and Disorders Sourcebook

This sourcebook provides basic information for the lay audience about common disorders of the upper and lower digestive tract. Information about medications and recommendations for maintaining a healthy digestive tract are included. The book's 40 chapters are arranged in three major parts. The first section is about maintaining a healthy digestive tract, the second describes digestive diseases and functional disorders, and the third offers a glossary of terms, a subject index, and a directory of digestive diseases organizations—which includes website and email addresses as available.

Available from Omnigraphics, Inc., 615 Griswold, Detroit, MI 48226; 1–800–234–1340. Price: $48 (plus shipping and handling).

NIH Publication No. 01–4552
March 2001