It's no secret that millions of us are more involved in our own health care decisions--whether we want to be or not. We may be looking for the latest advance that might give us an edge in survival; looking for complementary treatments to help a chronic condition; investigating whether a treatment recommendation is good medicine or cost-cutting; studying to understand what the doctor told us in our allotted ten- minute visit; or trying to understand if a media story or pharmaceutical ad applies to our situation.However, we're starting our search without much context of what we're looking for or understanding of how we might make best use of the array of resources. Making Informed Medical Decisions illuminates the process. Its subject matter includes:

Tips for researching for someone elseReading a journal article (and understanding what it says)Making practical sense of statistics and riskUnderstanding variations and advances in standard treatment optionsExploring complementary treatments Locating a likely clinical trialMaking a powerful ally of your doctor

Nancy Oster is a medical writer, health care activist, Internet expert, and educator. She received her Bachelors Degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara and has written several articles for medical and health care journals. Recently, Nancy was honored in the U.S. House of Representatives for her role as the founding president of the Breast Resource Center of Santa Barbara. Nancy is also one of the founders of the South Coast Telecommunications Alliance, a forum for networking and information sharing on the central coast of California. Nancy has long been active in support of open and free information and access to health care and health information. When Nancy is not writing, she is busy preparing gourmet meals, practicing yoga, creating numerous Web sites, gardening, working on a designer quilt with friends, or traveling with her husband, Dave. Nancy and Dave have two grown children and two very active puppies. Nancy and Dave live in Santa Barbara, California. Nancy, Lucy and Darol teach an Internet Health Information course for the Santa Barbara Community College Adult Education program. They've been teaching the class for several years and have taken the class as far as the First World Conference on Breast Cancer in Kingston, Ontario, Canada and to other communities in California.

Lucy Thomas, M.L.S., is currently the director of the Reeves Medical Library in Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara, California. She completed her Bachelors and Masters degrees at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, before moving to California. She is a distinguished member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals of the Medical Library Association and on the editorial board for Medicine on the Net. Lucy has written numerous articles for professional journals and has been a speaker at professional conferences. She has long been an advocate for free access to information and for the rights of the healthcare consumer. When not working, Lucy can be found skiing in the Sierras, sailing, hiking, gardening, attending a meeting of her book club, or taking a long beach walk with her husband, Bill, and their golden retriever, Brig. Lucy and her husband live in Santa Barbara, California. Nancy, Lucy and Darol teach an Internet Health Information course for the Santa Barbara Community College Adult Education program. They've been teaching the class for several years and have taken the class as far as the First World Conference on Breast Cancer in Kingston, Ontario, Canada and to other communities in California.

Darol Joseff, M.D., is a Board certified Nephrologist and Internist. He completed his Medical Degree at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine and his fellowship and residency training at Harbor UCLA Medical Center, and at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Dr. Joseff has written numerous articles for medical journals. He is also on the faculty of the University of Southern California Medical School and is active in teaching for the residency programs at Cottage Hospital. Recently, Dr. Joseff was awarded Teacher of the Year by the Resident staff at Cottage Hospital. Dr. Joseff has a private practice specializing in Nephrology in Santa Barbara and is on the medical staff at several hospitals. Dr. Joseff communicates with his patients and colleagues via telephone, email, listservs, and the Web. When Dr. Joseff is not practicing medicine, teaching residents, or attending a Mac users convention, he is at home with his beautiful wife, Janet, also a physician. They have two lively children and their free time is filled with activities such as soccer, hiking, beach walks and travel. Nancy, Lucy and Darol teach an Internet Health Information course for the Santa Barbara Community College Adult Education program. They've been teaching the class for several years and have taken the class as far as the First World Conference on Breast Cancer in Kingston, Ontario, Canada and to other communities in California.