Yad Sarah, an innovator in providing unique health care solutions, is the headquarters for an exciting and pioneering medical information service. Called Daat, the Hebrew word for knowledge, it provides laymen with information on a comprehensive range of medical and health topics. When patients are diagnosed with a serious illness, where can they turn for facts to help understand their condition and the range of treatments available? And what about someone who is worried about developing diabetes, which runs in the family, and wants information on ways to prevent it? By understanding their medical condition and treatment options, individuals can be more involved with their health care, make healthy lifestyle changes and participate with health care providers in making informed decisions.  

The Daat team is composed of database managers whose expertise in the areas of information sites is learned as a profession and who work together with medical and biological sciences personnel familiar with the various diagnoses, aware of the professional terminology and up-to-date with the scientific and medical information on the topics.  This unique combination provides extensive multidisciplinary coverage for locating the necessary information and matching it up with the client.  In addition, for each medical article it is vital to know where the information is derived and the level of professional criticism and control that was utilized both in reviewing the publication of the article and in the entire process of the medical research.  Daat has at its disposal a diverse and current library of both written texts and electronic data, not available on the electronic answer systems usually found on the Internet. The service is provided free of charge and is a supplemental enrichment to all health consumers wherever they may be, whether they possess independent search skills or not. Sometimes just one more article is what is necessary to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Nevertheless, Daat is no substitute for second medical opinions or medical recommendations.

Nava Dolev, the founder of Daat who personally steered the direction of the organization, received her academic accreditation in the U.S.A. for this type of service. Besides being a nurse and midwife, Ms Dolev, who was awarded a prize for Creativity in Nursing , also lectures in several academic institutions, including those for medicine, nursing, medical administration and librarianship. Her lectures cover consumer health empowerment and provision of consumer health information. Aware that medical services in Israel differ from those in the U.S.A., Ms Dolev adapted Daat to the particular needs of patients in Israel. She emphasizes that Daat address not only the physical well being of the patients, but also the psychological and social aspects associated with the medical problem they encounter. In the near future Daat expects to provide, together with Yad Sarah, an explanatory service manned by trained professionals to clarify any written information not understood by the client. Daat volunteers will be available at Yad Sarah branches around the country to speak personally with the clients, breaking down language barriers and providing explanations in lay terms. A ready source of information, Daat augments Yad Sarah’s current service whereby volunteers regularly visit the homes of the ill, the infirm and the housebound. Through Daat, Yad Sarah volunteers can access relevant material on the specific health problems their clients are experiencing and bring the information directly to the clients’ homes. Previously located at the Hadassah Medical Center, the original service answered over 10,000 queries in the six years of its existence. It continues to be associated with, and supported in part, by Hadassah Medical Organization and Hadassah Women’s Organization, as well as by Yad Sarah.

For more information, contact Daat at +972-2-6444-500.
See Jerusalem Post article on DaatPDF

View the interview of Nava Dolev with IBA News Anchor Sheila Zucker.
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