The tool, this web based health care manual titled "Your Healthcare Primer for Long Term Care" was authored by Continuum of Care medical staff. The staff comprise a network of medical professionals in residence at the University of New Mexico and around the state with expertise in developmental disabilities who have specialization in healthcare areas including Pediatrics, Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Psychiatry, Neuro-Psychiatry, Gastroenterology, Gynecology, Nursing, Dentistry, Psychology, and Social Work.

The online reference manual contains information regarding specific chronic conditions, mental health issues and congenital syndromes that individuals with developmental disabilities frequently experience. The web manual is intended as an interactive reference tool providing important medical and mental health information, wellness management and strategies to help make the most out of routine and emergency doctor and pharmacy visits. 

The web manual is designed in compliance with Addendum B of the state of New Mexico Department of Health Individual Service Plans (ISP). The NM DOH Long Term Services Department requires direct support service staff to be trained on certain identified competencies -required knowledge by all direct service staff- plus additional topics that are specific to the individual with developmental disabilities they actually support.  The additional individualized training topics are listed in Addendum B of the ISP. Currently in New Mexico, the NM DOH provides a training curriculum for the common competencies. However, because separate trainings for topics specific on different disabilities does not yet exist in New Mexico, this web manual provides quick and easy access to medical information and is a useful resource in home settings, work environments, clinical, and educational settings. It contains basic information on hundreds of diseases, and provides an organized structure for finding disease-basedinformation, including both standard medical knowledge and current developments.

The manual is an easy to use, menu-driven application with a consistent navigation format. The menu is designed to be very user-friendly and intuitive. Features built into the manual include:

• Point and click access to hundreds of chronic medical conditions, mental health issues and congenital syndromes
• A comprehensive glossary/medical library "Medem" provided by the United States Medical Societies
• An interactive feedback Q&A room
• A to Z listing of all diseases listed in the manual
• Background and contact access to contributing authors
• Questions to ask the doctor or pharmacist for each condition (generated by medical specialists)
• Suggested patient information to bring to the doctor or pharmacy visit (generated by medical specialists)
• Links to related medical sites like the Merck Manual, Medline, etc.
• Comprehensive search capabilities

Unlike hardcopy reference manuals, textbooks and other static sources of information, the web manual is designed to keep abreast of and incorporate current developments in intervention and prevention; and to provide a platform for multiple professionals across time and distance to communicate with each other and to contribute to the core set of medical knowledge in Long Term Healthcare.