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Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome
- Q: What is NIDDK?
- A: The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) is part of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). We conduct
and support biomedical research,
disseminating research findings and health
information to the public. We are part of the U.S. Government,
under the Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS).
- Q: Where is the National Institutes of Health located?
- A: The NIH campus is located in Bethesda, Maryland,
on Wisconsin Avenue (across from the Bethesda Naval Medical
Center). Directions and maps
are available. NIDDK's Phoenix
Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch is located in
Arizona.
- Q: Can I get on your online mailing list (listserv)
for news releases?
- A: You can subscribe to the Department of Health and Human Services listserv, to which the
National Institutes of Health--including NIDDK--provides its
news releases.
Research Funding and Planning
- Q: How do I obtain hormones for my research?
- A: The National Hormone and Pituitary Program (NHPP) provides human and animal pituitary hormones and other hormones for the research community.
- Q: How do I apply for funding for my biomedical research?
- A: Most NIH-funded research is investigator-initiated:
scientists from universities and labs around the country apply
for funding for projects that interest them. Requests
for Applications (RFAs) are issued to foster interest in
certain areas. Applications undergo a two-step peer
review process by outside scientific experts to ensure the
highest scientific standards among funded projects. In the first
step, a study section assigns numeric priority ratings to applications
based on their scientific merit and feasibility. In the second
step, the NIDDK's National
Advisory Council approves the study section's recommendations.
This process is mandated by U.S. law. For further information,
see the Grants section
of the NIH home page or the Research
Funding Opportunities section of the NIDDK home page. You
may also contact GrantsInfo (301) 435-0714, or
email: grantsinfo@nih.gov.
- Q: How do I contact an NIDDK staff member about a
grant application?
- A: If you know the name of the person you
need to contact, NIDDK's staff
directory lists email addresses and telephone numbers for
NIDDK and NIH staff. If not, look at the five divisions under the
Research Funding or Organization
sections. The five divisions are the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology,
and Metabolic Diseases (DEM),
the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition (DDN),
the Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases (KUH),
the Division of Extramural Activities (DEA),
and the Division of Nutrition Research Coordination (DNRC).
Laboratories at NIDDK
- Q: How do I apply for a summer position in a lab
at the National Institutes of Health?
- A: Information about research and training opportunities
at the NIH is provided by the NIH Office of Education.
Health Information
- Q: How do I find the answers to my specific medical
questions?
- A: NIDDK cannot provide a diagnosis or medical
advice for an individual situation. A doctor who has examined
you and knows your medical history is the best person to provide
that information.
The NIDDK's health information
section lists titles of lay-language and easy-to-read publications
on topics covered by NIDDK. (You may also refer to the National
Institutes of Health's Health Information Index or to
use the NIH search engine if you're
not sure which institute covers your area of interest.) If
you have a complex question and you're comfortable with technical
articles, you can search the medical literature by using the
free Internet access to MEDLINE.
MEDLINEplus
contains consumer-friendly information on specific disease
topics and conditions and also includes links to medical encyclopedias
and dictionaries, drug information, and other resources. If
you still need help finding general information about a diagnosed
condition, send your question to the NIDDK site manager.
- Q: How can I find a support group for people with
my medical condition?
- A: You can ask your doctor or local hospital
for information on support groups. You can also check our directories
of professional and voluntary organizations for the areas of
diabetes,
digestive
diseases, kidney
and urologic diseases, and metabolic and endocrine
disorders.
- Q: What are the possible side effects of my prescribed
medicines?
- A: Ask your doctor or pharmacist any questions
about the drugs prescribed for you. You can also consult the
Physician's Desk Reference, which is widely available
at local libraries. It describes drugs, how they work and interact,
and their possible side effects.
- In addition, you can access MEDLINEplus
for a guide to more than 9,000 prescription and over-the-counter
medications provided by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP).
- Q: Can you refer me to a specialist or tell me the
best place to go for treatment of my disorder?
- A: We cannot provide referrals as we cannot and
do not evaluate practicing physicians. Ask your primary physician
for a referral to a specialist. You can also contact a local
medical society for a listing of specialists in your area. We
recommend seeking a specialist associated with a university-affiliated
or teaching hospital if one is in your area. Try to find a physician
who is board certified in the specialty you need and skilled
in the procedures you may undergo. To verify a physician's credentials,
look in The Official ABMS Directory of Board Certified Medical
Specialists, which is available in most public libraries.
- In addition, MEDLINEplus
provides a consumer-friendly listing of organizations that will
assist you in your search for physicians and other health professionals.
- Q: Where can I find treatment guidelines?
- A: For clinical standards and guidelines, you
can search the National
Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC), a public resource for evidence-based
clinical practice guidelines.
- Q: How do I make an appointment with a specialist
at NIDDK?
- A: NIDDK conducts and supports biomedical research.
We are not a diagnostic institution. Any patients seen at the
NIH Clinical Center have a specific diagnosis and have been
referred by their physicians to participate in research
studies. Practicing physicians seeking to consult with a
specialist may contact the NIDDK investigator directly. If you
need help finding the right person, contact the Office of Scientific
and Health Information at (301) 496-3583 or send your inquiry
to the NIDDK
site manager.
- Q: Can you provide information on alternative remedies
for my condition?
- A: The NIH National
Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is a good
source for such information.
- Q: Where can I locate foreign language health education
materials?
- A: The Combined
Health Information Database (CHID) is an excellent source
for health education materials about a wide range of topics,
including foreign-language materials. These materials include
articles from medical journals, books, booklets, audiovisual
materials, and other educational media for patients and health
providers. The database provides titles, abstracts, and availability
information on each item--but not the full text. NIDDK publications
including many in Spanish, are online under Health
Information.
- Q: Where can I get a meal plan or nutrition advice
for my disorder?
- A: General information on nutrition related to
specific diseases is incorporated into our fact
sheets on those diseases. For individual advice on meal
plans related to medical conditions, you should meet with a
registered dietitian. Your doctor can provide the name of a
dietitian in your area. More information about registered dietitians
is available from the American
Dietetic Association.
- Q: How can I get help paying for medications or medical
treatment for diabetes and kidney diseases?
- A: Read our fact sheets Financial
Help for Diabetes Care and Financial
Help for Treatment of Kidney Failure. Also talk with your
health care team. They can tell you about sources of help in
your community.
- Q: Does Medicare cover my diabetes supplies?
- A: Medicare covers the same supplies for people
who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes: glucose testing monitor,
blood glucose test strips, lancets, spring powered devices for
lancets, and glucose control solutions. Some frequency limitations
may apply. Medicare does not cover insulin and syringes.
- For more information on Medicare coverage related to diabetes,
call the Medicare Hotline toll free at 1-800-MEDICARE and read
the Power
to Control Diabetes Is in Your Hands brochure from the National
Diabetes Education Program. (This document is in PDF format
and requires the free Adobe
Acrobat Reader.)
- Q. Are there blood glucose monitors available that
do not require sticking my fingertip?
- A: Yes. Several available meters use alternate-site
testing. For example, you can obtain a blood sample from your
forearm or other less sensitive areas, instead of your fingertip.
Researchers are also developing methods of noninvasive monitoring
(checking blood glucose levels without puncturing the skin for
a blood sample). In March 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) approved a noninvasive blood glucose monitoring device
for adults with diabetes. The GlucoWatch Biographer, manufactured
by Cygnus Inc., was approved to detect glucose level trends
and patterns in adults age 18 and older with diabetes. To learn
more about such monitors and new products after they are approved,
call the FDA at 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) or see the FDA's
Index
of Products for Diabetes.
Clinical Trial Participation
- Q: Where can I find information about current clinical
trials?
- A: Information about clinical trials conducted
by NIH, NIDDK, and other Federal and private organizations is
listed under Clinical
Trials. The ClinicalTrials.gov
database offers information on the location of clinical trials,
their design and purpose, criteria for participation, and further
information about the disease and treatment under study.
- Q: How can I enroll in a clinical trial at NIDDK?
- A: You must be diagnosed with a condition under
study and you must be referred by your physician. NIDDK conducts
limited clinical studies at the NIH Clinical
Center in Bethesda, Maryland. We also support several large,
multicenter trials, which are listed under NIDDK-Funded
Studies Highlights.
NIDDK National Health Education Programs
- Q: What is the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse?
- A: The National
Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) is an information
and referral service of the National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of
Health (NIH), designed to increase knowledge and understanding
about diabetes among patients and their families, health care
professionals, and the general public.
- Q: What is the National Diabetes Education Program?
- A: The National
Diabetes Education Program is a federally sponsored initiative
that involves public and private partners to improve the treatment
and outcomes for people with diabetes, to promote early diagnosis,
and ultimately to prevent the onset of diabetes.
- Q: What is the National Digestive Diseases Information
Clearinghouse?
- A: The National
Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) is
an information and referral service of the National Institute
of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National
Institutes of Health (NIH), designed to increase knowledge and
understanding about digestive diseases and health among people
with digestive diseases and their families, health care professionals,
and the general public.
- Q: What is the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases
Information Clearinghouse?
- A: The National
Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC)
is an information and referral service of the National Institute
of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National
Institutes of Health (NIH), designed to increase the knowledge
and understanding about kidney and urologic diseases and health
among patients and their families, health care professionals,
and the general public.
- Q: What is the National Kidney Disease Education Program?
- A: The National Kidney Disease Education Program was created to reduce the
morbidity and mortality caused by kidney disease and its complications. The
program will raise awareness about the seriousness of kidney disease, the
importance of testing, and the availability of treatment to prevent or slow
kidney failure.
- Q: What is the Weight-control Information Network
(WIN)?
- A: The Weight-control
Information Network (WIN) is a national information service
of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health (NIH). WIN provides
science-based information on obesity, weight control, and related
nutritional disorders to health professionals and consumers.
In addition, WIN has developed the Sisters
Together: Move More, Eat Better public awareness campaign
to encourage black women to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
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Director: Dr. Allen Spiegel || Contact NIDDK
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
is part of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. General inquiries may be addressed to Office of Communications and Public Liaison, NIDDK, NIH, Building 31, room 9A04 Center Drive, MSC 2560, Bethesda, MD 20892-2560, USA. || Privacy || Disclaimer || Copyright || Credits || Accessibility |
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