Find websites under these headings:
General Health
Mental Health
Drugs
Physician, Hospital, Care Option & Insurance
Topic-Specific Sites
Evaluating Health Information
GENERAL HEALTH INFORMATION
Links are ordered from those with the most comprehensive content to more specific:
Comprehensive source of health and wellness information from the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health; has many features, including medical encyclopedia and dictionary, current news, & interactive tutorials and surgery videos
From the American Academy of Family Physicians, search for medical information by condition or age/gender; features helpful healthy living, smart patient and over-the-counter guides
Healthfinder, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Developed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, this site links to health and medical information from over 1,500 health-related organizations websites
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Browse “Popular Health Topics” to find information about types of complementary and alternative medicine and their relationship to the treatment of conditions and diseases
Resource focusing on information about clinical lab tests; searchable by test, conditions/diseases or age
Innerbody – Human Anatomy Online
Interactive diagrams of the systems of the human body; excellent reference site to learn more about descriptions of medical conditions
Toll-Free Numbers for Health Information
Selected toll-free numbers for organizations providing health-related information, education, and support from the National Health Information Center
From the National Institutes of Health, provides current information about clinical research studies
MENTAL HEALTH
National Institute of Mental Health
Search “Mental Health Topics” for descriptions of disorders and treatments and to locate mental health services, affordable healthcare, & NIMH clinical trials
Search for information by audience, issue or disorders & treatments. Addresses all aspects of mental health and mental illness with information on advocacy, education, research and service
DRUG INFORMATION
Links are ordered from those with the most comprehensive content to more specialized
Information on prescription drugs (including pill photos) & vitamins, herbs & supplements, drug comparisons and interactions. Also includes news about medications
From National Institutes of Health, an overview of dietary supplements; under “Health Information” find helpful fact sheets for specific vitamins, minerals, & botanicals; section on warnings and safety information
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
Food and Drug Administration’s information about the products they regulate, including new prescription and over-the-counter drug approvals, drug safety and side effects, and public health alerts
Partnership for Prescription Assistance
Food and Drug Administration’s information about the products they regulate, including new prescription and over-the-counter drug approvals, drug safety and side effects, and public health alerts
PHYSICIAN, HOSPITAL, CARE OPTION & INSURANCE INFORMATION
Doctors/Dentists, Healthcare Providers, Hospitals/Clinics/Other Facilities Good starting point from the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health; lists of doctors, dentists, specialists & other healthcare providers, hospitals & clinics, healthcare facilities & services, other facilities and libraries
Doctors
Professional information on American Medical Association’s licensed physicians in the United States and its possessions. Searches may also be made for non-AMA members
NYS Physician Profile
NYS Department of Health lists profiles of all licensed doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy registered in New York State; includes board certification, education, practice information, legal actions, professional activities, and physician statements. Note: Legal action is self-reporting on this site. Go to the Professional Misconduct and Physician Discipline search that is next on this list
Professional Misconduct and Physician Discipline
NYS Office investigates complaints about physicians, physician assistants and specialist assistants and monitors practitioners who have been placed on probation; Look up health professionals by name, license number, license type or date
Hospitals & Clinics
US Dept. of Health & Human Services provides hospital information on adult patient services, including hospital contact information, comparisons of hospitals, quality measures, questions to consider before going to a hospital, and patient rights
NYS Department of Health provides information about hospitals in New York State and the quality of care they provide
Easy-to-use county locator for finding nursing facilities; includes guidelines for selecting a nursing home; info from New York State Health Facilities Organization
Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator
Find drug and alcohol treatment programs nearest you
INSURANCE INFORMATION
NYS Department of Health provides links to health assistance programs and services
Interactive New York Consumer Guide to HMO’s
Easy-to-read tables comparing HMO performance and premiums, historical complaint data and tips on how to choose an HMO
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
From the Department of Health & Human Services, information on Medicare and Medicaid including, but not limited to information on eligibility, coverage, and health plans
TOPIC-SPECIFIC SITES
NYS Addiction Services HOPEline
Find help for alcoholism, drug abuse, gambling problems.
Call 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369)
Information on HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention and research
American Dental Association
Features A-Z topic search, how to choose a dentist, answers to frequently asked questions about oral health care and treatment, insurance and policies. Also in Spanish
American Heart Association
Warning signs for heart attack and stroke, healthy lifestyle information, CPR and ECC classes, local info and more. Also in Spanish
In-depth treatment section (in Cancer Information); also excellent resource for preventing, detecting and coping with the effects of cancer
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Infectious disease information with archive of government data and statistics. Also in Spanish
Easy-to-Read
Health Information in easy-to-understand language from Medline Plus. Includes interactive tutorials and some information in Spanish
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Government agency that that regulates and supplies information about food, drugs, medical devices, biologics, animal feed & drugs, cosmetics and radiation-emitting products
Food and Nutrition Information Center
Food and human nutrition information, including topics from A – Z, supplements, dietary guidelines, and the food guide pyramid from the National Agricultural Library
Genetics Home Reference
Consumer-friendly information about the effects of genetic variations on human health
Haz-Map: Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents
Information about the health effects of exposure to chemicals at work
Household Products Database
Easy-to-understand information on common household products including their potential health effects and safety and handling information
Internet Safety for Teens – SafeTeens.com
Site where teens and their parents can learn safe, civil and responsible use of the Internet
MedlinePlus – Find a Library
A list of libraries throughout the country that provide health information services to local residents
MedlinePlus for Low Vision Users
Interactive health tutorials and senior health information in large fonts, audio on each page and easy-to-read language
Minority Health & Multi-Cultural Resources for Health Information
National Library of Medicine’s Outreach Activities and Resources page. Info for individual minority groups and on laws, policies, standards, organizations and portals including refugee portal; includes health resources in many languages
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Drug information & facts and drug education resources & materials; separate sections for students and young adults, parents and teachers, researchers and health professionals; part of the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services
National Organization for Rare Disorders
Good index of rare diseases
National Women’s Health Information Center
Health information and referral center for women. Also in Spanish
Other Language Resources
Links to useful multilingual online health resources. Organized by specific languages
Senior Health
Easily accessible aging-related health information with large print and “talking” function capabilities from the National Institutes of Health
TIME TO ACT
Teen Drug and Alcohol Intervention: A step-by-step guide for parents who suspect or know their teens are drinking or using drugs
Smoking Cessation Information (NYS) and How to Quit
Links to centers and programs that focus on smoking cessation and self-help information on how to quit
STOP (Stop Ticks on People)
Focuses on safe environmental solutions to tick control, reducing the incidence and prevalence of tick-borne disease through education, research and prevention
Travelers’ Health
Select travel health information according to destination, find out about vaccinations, insect protection, diseases, illness and injury abroad, safe food and water and more from the Centers for Disease Control
Treatment 4 Addiction
Treatment 4 Addiction is a frequently updated treatment center directory. This national directory includes the SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) database, as well as many private treatment centers, therapists and addiction professionals. Articles, videos and blogs on types of treatment, addictions, and mental health disorders are also available through this site
EVALUATING HEALTH INFORMATION
Many links from Medline Plus that assist with finding, evaluating and interpreting health information in online and print formats
Evaluating Internet Health Information Tutorial
A 16-minute tutorial from the National Library of Medicine
Buying Medicines and Medical Products Online
From the Food and Drug Administration,Information about buying medicine and other products online including things to watch out for
The above consumer health information sites were compiled with the assistance of Medical Library Association MedWeb training courses, “Consumer Health Information”, WebMed Training Series, “Consumer Health Information in the Public Library”, Health Care Resources on the Internet, edited by M. Sandra Wood, and library health information specialists