In the Dark? Here’s a Cure

Almost every week, significant advances in medicine are reported in the pages of the Journal of the American Medical Assn. This week, the journal will begin to make that information more accessible to consumers.

JAMA has launched a “patient page,” which will appear each week and will be written for the layperson, distilling the major study or report featured in each issue. For example, the April 22-29 issue of JAMA contains several articles on stroke. Likewise, the patient page contains a description of stroke, its warning signs and risk factors. The page also explains the articles in the journal and guides readers to other information sources.

The page is designed to be photocopied by doctors who would then make it available to their patients. JAMA editors warn that the page should not replace doctor-patient discussionsbut should enhance communication.