Consumer health IT

Visual database will be available via NLM

BETHESDA, Maryland – The National Library of Medicine (NLM) will partner with Rochester, N.Y.-based VisualDxHealth, a unique online consumer health resource developed by the doctors and healthcare professionals at Logical Images.

The NLM Web site, www.MedlinePlus.gov, will expand to provide visitors access to the trusted health source www.VisualDxHealth.com, which features over 2,000 medical-quality images and information on over 150 diseases.

MedlinePlus.gov brings together authoritative information from the NLM, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations. The new links to VisualDxHealth.com will augment the health encyclopedia, dictionaries, tutorials and news stories on MedlinePlus.gov.

The NLM, a part of the NIH, created and maintains MedlinePlus to assist more than 11 million visitors a month in locating trusted health information. MedlinePlus pages contain carefully selected links to Web resources with health information on over 740 topics.

“We know that our users always want to see the images and pictures, especially for dermatology issues. VisualDxHealth will bring quality images and consumer-level descriptions to our MedlinePlus users,” said Joyce Backus, deputy chief of the National Library of Medicine’s Public Services Division.

Visitors to MedlinePlus.gov will be able to access co-branded medical pictures and health information at VisualDxHealth.com for visual conditions ranging from acne to zoster.

VisualDxHealth has been designed to tailor pictures and disease information to the individual visiting the site. Content and images for a specific condition are customized based on factors such as the age group, gender, and skin color of the visitor, in order to improve understanding and promote prevention through early recognition.

“The VisualDxHealth team at Logical Images is excited for the opportunity to partner with the National Library of Medicine and provide MedlinePlus visitors access to our unique content,” said Rory Burril, Director of Consumer Health at Logical Images, “We believe that pictures and images are a powerful part of recognizing and understanding health conditions. Visitors to MedlinePlus will now be just a mouse click away from the some of the best medical images in the world.”

About Logical Images
Based in Rochester, N.Y., Logical Images develops visual healthcare tools to elevate diagnostic accuracy, enhance medical education, and heighten patient knowledge. Logical Images is a company of digital imaging experts, leaders in computer-based design and knowledge management, skilled image archivists, and practicing physicians. The company’s products include VisualDx, visual clinical decision support software, and VisualDxHealth, online consumer wellness and healthcare resources located at www.visualdxhealth.com. According to the company, Logical Images has developed the most comprehensive digital medical image library with nearly 60,000 images including all age ranges and skin types. This extensive collection is the foundation for both the VisualDx professional tool and the VisualDxHealth consumer tool – designed to speed disease recognition for faster, more accurate decision making and patient understanding. http://www.logicalimages.com.

About the National Library of Medicine
The National Library of Medicine (NLM), on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, is the world’s largest medical library. The Library collects materials and provides information and research services in all areas of biomedicine and health care. www.nlm.nih.gov.