(Harrisburg) -- Some midstate teens may use indoor tanning facilities to get ready for the prom and graduation seasons.

(Lancaster) -- Many times, the first thing a person does when experiencing some unusual medical symptoms is head to the Internet.

But using a search engine may not always be the best way to diagnose an ailment or health-related issue.

witf's Megan Lello spoke with Dr. Paul Conslato, medical director for Lancaster General Medical Group, about how to responsibly read through diagnoses online. Dr. Conslato says that some independent learning on symptoms that they are experiencing is usually a good idea.

Listen to their conversation:

Dr. Conslato says, “The reality is, a more informed patient usually leads to a more productive engagement where the physician is acting as a partner in finding a solution to a person’s healthcare needs,” he explains.

But, with every potential innovation in healthcare there are some downsides. What he sees on an infrequent basis is a heightened concern about symptoms.

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“An e-Patient is someone that is empowered, engaged, equipped, and enabled,” says Christine Amy from Aligning Forces for Quality --- South Central Pennsylvania. Amy works to help people become better so-called “e-Patients” by using technology to stay informed about their health.

Amy highlights some of the characteristics of an engaged patient in this video.

The healthcare industry is just starting to incorporate electronic medical records, patient portals, and apps into their practices. And, although it is just the beginning, Dr. Karen Jones, an Internist & Medical Director for Quality and Innovation at WellSpan Health, says that the future is not too far out in changing how care is delivered and received. Watch the video here.

“For me, the most exciting part of the Digital Age in health care is the potential we have to help people understand and have more control of their health care,” says Dr. Jones.

And, check out this video to learn more about how medical apps are streamlining care and are helping patients become more engaged in their care.

Where do you turn for information about a diagnosis or symptoms you're experiencing? Do you feel that doing some research before a visit with your doctor makes it a more meaningful interaction? Please share your thoughts in a comment below.

“When I think about the ways that doctors are accessing medical applications and patient data now, I think of keywords like value and convenience,” says Dr. Michael Ripchinski, Chief Medical Information Officer and Family Physician at Lancaster General Health. “It is valuable for them to have access to record electronically so they can can continue to deliver care for patient even in the off hours. And, it is convenient that they don’t have to travel back to office to initiate or continue care for their patients.”

Cancer is the epidemic of modern times. Unlike other diseases that have plagued people throughout history like tuberculosis and polio, we haven’t yet discovered a vaccine against it. One of the most common manifestations of this disease is breast cancer, which affects not only one in eight women, but also thousands of men in the United States.

Dr. Shou Ling Leong, an educator at Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, explains that smoking cigarettes in the past was something that only men did, not women and children. But clever advertising campaigns targeted to women and children changed that.

(Harrisburg) -- The fountain behind the State Capitol is roaring with pink-colored water this month in an effort to raise breast cancer awareness.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One doesn't have to look far to see a pink ribbon, buildings cast in pink light or fountains flowing with pink water. The color pink is associated with the cause so much during the month that everyone knows exactly what it signifies.

When the campaign began in October 1985, the focus was on early detection of breast cancer. That's still an important message, but billions of dollars have been donated and contributed toward breast cancer research and treatment.

Progress has been made. About 2% fewer breast cancers were detected between 1999 and 2005 and death rates from breast cancer have been dropping since 1990.

This episode of Radio Smart Talk explores the impact of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the past and into the future.

We'll also look into current statistics, treatments, research, and what the future holds.

Program guests include Pat Halpin-Murphy, the president and founder of the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, Leigh Hurst, the founder of Feel Your Boobies, and Dr. Ronald Hempling, a gynecologic oncologist with WellSpan Health.

Listen to the program:

In the video below, Dr. Dennis Gingrich, an educator at Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, provides a brief history of smoking and the changes that have been made as a society to discourage smoking in public spaces.

Doctors and dentists are in an advantageous position to counsel patients about tobacco use and cessation. Developing relationships that allow for open and honest communication about tobacco use is key in helping patients take that critical step in deciding to quit.

Five years ago on October 21, Diana Denenberg Durand died after an incredible 18 year heroic battle against breast cancer. During that time she faced and DEFEATED the cancer as it re-occurred - at first in a breast, then six years later her other breast, then her bones, next to her liver, and finally in her brain.