Patient Resoures
Women's Health
Men's Health
Parenting and Kids
Senior Health
Specific Health Problems
Drug Information Resources
For Health Professionals
Other Useful Health Sites
General Health
MEDLINEplus from the National Library of Medicine
MEDLINEplus offers consumers accurate and current medical information. Find extensive information about specific diseases and conditions, including drug information. For those who want brevity, use the Medical Encylcopedia. Other offerings on this content rich site include health news, a dictionary, directories to find doctors, dentists and hospitals, interactive tutorials, clinical trials and surgery videos. The entire site is available in Spanish as well, with a handy toggle feature. Other languages are included but to a lesser extent. There is no advertising on this site. MEDLINEplus does not endorse any company or product. One stop shopping at its best.
MayoClinic.com
MayoClinic.com offers a wealth of easy-to-understand health and medical information. In addition to diseases and conditions, the site has a number of healthy living guides and helpful resources such as Health Tools, Treatment Decision Guides and Ask a Specialist. Web site content is reviewed for accuracy by Mayo Clinic experts.
familydoctor.org from the American Academy of Family Physicians
This site offers clear and concise patient hand-outs for common medical concerns and conditions. All information has been written and reviewed by physicians and patient education professionals at the American Academy of Family Physicians. “Conditions A-Z”, make finding a hand-out easy and this section is also available in Spanish. Other helpful features are the Healthy Living Guides, a Smart Patient Guide, Health Tools section and a Health Tip of the Day.
healthfinder®
Developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, healthfinder® links to carefully selected information and Web sites from over 1,500 health-related organizations. There’s a wonderful children’s interface with age-appropriate health information and much of the web site’s information is available in Spanish.
Hardin M.D.
This subject directory of health web site links is maintained by the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, University of Iowa. A special focus on medical pictures makes this site unique.
Aetna InteliHealth®
Aetna InteliHealth, a subsidiary of Aetna, partners with Harvard Medical School and Columbia University College of Dental Medicine to provide credible health information. It's important to note that Aetna InteliHealth’s editorial policy states that it maintains absolute editorial independence from Aetna. That said, the site is content rich on disease and treatment information, and includes nice additional features such as its Interactive Health Tools, Ask the Expert, Personalized Health E-mail service, and Discussion Boards.
Med Help International
Med Help International is a non-profit organization whose focus is to provide medical information in non-technical language, to assist individuals in understanding their disease/condition and to help people make informed choices. Med Help is an independent organization, with no outside affiliations. Use the A-Z Disease index or the Search engine to locate diseases and conditions. Patients may ask questions of doctors in the Doctor-to-Patient forums or they can join Patient-to-Patient forums for anecdotal advice.
NetWellness
NetWellness, a non-profit consumer health web site, has been in operation for over ten years. It provides high quality information created and evaluated by medical and health professional faculty at the: University of Cincinnati, Case Western Reserve University and the Ohio State University. It's Ask An Expert feature is a question and answer service provided by numerous health care professionals of the three Universities, who volunteer their time as a community service.
MedicineNet.com
MedicineNet.com is owned and operated by WebMD and part of the WebMD Network. The web site provides easy-to-read, in-depth, authoritative medical information for consumers through its user-friendly, interactive web site. The content is produced and edited by a nationally recognized network of over 70 U.S. Board Certified Physicians. They claim their content is not influenced by any advertiser, sponsor, company, product offering, or third party.
The Cleveland Clinic Health Information Center
Produced by the Cleveland Clinic Department of Patient Education and Health Information, this site offers information on over 900 health topics. The health information presented on the site has been approved by Cleveland Clinic specialists, unless otherwise noted. Additional information has been added from agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Merck Medicus Best Practice of Medicine Patient Guide
Evidenced-based health information on 14 medical specialty areas, sponsored by Merck Medicus. Extensive information on each topic covered includes: News and alerts, Basic Information, Causes, Symptoms, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Prevention & Screening, Urgent Care, Self-care, Drug Therapy, Other Therapies, Alternative Medicine, Special Circumstances, Prognosis and Follow-up care.
Women's Health
Noah: Women's Health
New York Online Access to Health is a bilingual (English/Spanish) health information site created by the City University of New York, the New York Academy of Medicine, and the New York, Queens Borough, and Brooklyn Public Libraries. The Women’s Health pages cover normal conditions such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause as well as diseases and concerns such as endometriosis, women’s cancers, and STDs.
Feminist.com Health and Sexuality Links
This is a directory of Web sites covering breast cancer, sexuality, reproductive rights, and general women’s health created by Feminist.com, a grassroots organization. It includes directories of midwives, birthing centers, and abortion clinics.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Women's Health (OWH)
The FDA's Office of Women's Health provides information about medical devices, cosmetics, and drugs, current health news, and information about research on women's health issues. It provides links to regulatory information, scientific projects, and publications.
Women's Health.gov
The National Women’s Health Information Center of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers statistical information as well coverage of women’s health topics and issues, health organizations, funding resources, and publications. It provides information in Spanish and has a site for girls, Girls Health.gov at http://www.4girls.gov.
ihr.com Internet Health Resources
This site is a clearinghouse for online infertility information. It covers diagnosis, treatment options, financial issues, legal issues, adoption, and support groups.
National Women’s Health Resource Center (NWHRC)
The National Women's Health Resource Center is a non-profit, national clearinghouse for women's health information. It develops original health materials and content for women and provides links to related news, educational opportunities, and national organizations. It also has information about books and contacts for local health departments.
Our Bodies Ourselves
The Boston Women's Health Book Collective has created a companion Web site for their classic book, Our Bodies, Ourselves. It provides both clinical and psychosocial information about women's health issues and offers resources in both English and Spanish. The site has current health news and Web links.
WebMD Healthy Women
WebMD is an online information, education, and research community for consumers and physicians. It provides information and current news about health topics as well as message boards and a health newsletter.
North American Menopause Society
The North American Menopause Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to research and promoting women’s health as they age. They study menopause and its health effects. The site has information for health care providers and consumers, including referral lists, educational materials, research, and participation in research studies.
Men's Health
Ask Noah About: Men's Health
This bilingual site from the New York Academy of Medicine and the New York Public Library includes basic health information for men as well as information on fertility, impotence, prostate health, safer sex, and gay men's health.
MedlinePlus- Men's Health Topics
The National Library of Medicine offers information on a variety of men's health topics including circumcision, fertility, prostate disease, and testicular cancer. The site is available in Spanish and offers links to PubMed searches on men's health information.
MayoClinic.com-Men's Health Center
The Mayo Clinic offers general health information for men, including preventive care. It also has interactive tools and answers to FAQs from Mayo Clinic specialists.
Medem Medical Library: Men's Health
This site offers health information from the nation's medical societies about healthy living, reproductive and sexual function, prostate conditions, and other men's health issues. Some is available in Spanish. The articles included are rated for level of difficulty.
American Academy of Family Physicians-Men's Health
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers information about a wide range of topics of interest to men including STDs, prostate health, reproductive issues, and fatherhood. Information is available in English and Spanish.
Urology Health (American Urological Association)
This site provides information on a wide variety of urological conditions affecting men. It also has information about female and pediatric urological disorders.
Parenting and Kids
Dr. Greene.com
Dr. Alan Greene, professor of pediatrics at Stanford, offers a site with health information about children. There are pages for parents, children, teens, and physicians. The site covers developmental stages, diseases and conditions, and parenting.
American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics provides information about health topics, diseases and conditions, child development, and child safety.
KidsHealth.org
The Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health provides current information about child development, nutrition and fitness, preventive health care, and diseases and conditions. Information is available in English and Spanish. There are sites for parents, children, and teens.
iVillage Pregnancy and Parenting
The pregnancy and parenting pages of iVillage.com offers information about fertility, pregnancy, and parenting as well as opportunities to participate in discussion and support groups.
Virtual Pediatric Hospital
This is a digital health sciences collection devoted to pediatrics created by physicians at the University of Iowa to meet the information needs of health care providers and patients. It includes textbooks, Web sites, and anatomy atlases.
Senior Health
Administration on Aging Elders & Families
The Department of Health and Human Services/Administration on Aging website is designed to assist older people and their families or caregivers to quickly obtain information on a variety of aging-related topics and government-sponsored programs. There is excellent information on Alzheimers Disease & research, housing, nutrition, elder rights & resources, promoting a health lifestyle, government services for seniors, and caregiver support programs.
The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging
The American Geriatrics Society Foundation website offers information on the health and care of older adults. There are four subpages: Aging in the Know offers uptodate information on how the aging process affects health; Eldercare at Home offers the complete text of the second edition of this resource for families and friends who are caring for older people at home; The FHA Physician Referral Guide offers to mail a list of physicians sensitive to the special healthcare needs of older adults and links to search for board certified geriatricians; and Health in Aging Stories where patients and health care providers can share their stories on the challenge of finding and providing health care for the elderly. The site also provides a directory of guide to federal government agencies and national not-for-profit organizations that address the special health care needs of older adults.
The Family Caregiver Alliance
Information, services and support for caregivers and families of persons with chronic, disabling health conditions. It offers fact sheets in English, Spanish and Chinese on various conditions like dementia, Parkinson’s Disease and stroke. As an advocacy group it also offers statistics, public policy information, and reports. It includes caregiver advice and tips (also in Spanish and Chinese) and hosts online discussion groups.
FirstGov for Senior Citizens’ Resources
Extensive links to government agencies and other organizations that provide services and programs for seniors. There are links to consumer protection resources for seniors, money and taxes, end-of-life issues, health and housing for seniors. Information is gathered by need rather than the government agencies that provides the service. Hospice care, nursing home comparison, and even how to request a birthday greeting from the President for persons over 80 are covered.
Health and Age
Originally created by the Novartis Foundation for Gerontology, the site has been turned over the the HealthandAge Foundation. In addition to basic information on a number of common conditions, the site includes a news feed, a question-and-answer column, and full-text of a primer on geriatrics. There are special sections on men's health, on women's health and a caregiver's center with articles on care giving. This attractive site also has a professional section with a news feed and summaries of current studies on aging for health care professionals.
Mayo Clinic Senior Health Center
Reviewed by Mayo clinic medical editorial staff, this site has very readable articles on aging, conditions that often affect older adults, and healthy living. Articles are authoritative, short and cover topics like sex and intimacy and anti-aging therapies that often aren't found on other sites. Registration allows personalization of the website and interactive health management tools but isn't required for access.
MEDLINEplus Seniors’ Health Issues
Created by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), this website contains links to trustworthy information throughout the web. It contains links to the latest news, overviews of senior health issues, research, statistics, aging organizations, clinical trials, and much more. Links guide you to pre-formatted searchs on PubMed and to services and providers in your local area through the Go Local project. This page is also available in Spanish.
NIH Senior Health
NIHSeniorHealth makes aging-related health information easily accessible for family members and friends seeking reliable, easy to understand online health information. A unique feature is that the website has a spoken language feature and also allows increases in contrast as well as size of type for easier viewing. Well-illustrated and readable, it includes some short videos and links out to MedlinePlus for additional information.
Specific Health Problems
Alzheimer’s Association
Information on living with Alzheimers and information for caregivers and health professionals make this the comprehensive site on Alzheimer’s Disease. Fact sheets, information on diagnosis and management, planning ahead, a glossary and extensive Spanish language information as well as some information in Korean and Chinese add to its usefulness. Message boards and chat rooms provide support and additional information sharing.
American Academy of Dermatology-Public Resource Center
“Dermatology A-Z” gives extensive information and fulltext of AAD pamphlets on most common skin and nail conditions from acne and aging skin to tanning and tattoos. Includes some pamphlets and information in Spanish, a directory of dermatologists, and Kids Connection section with information for children on skin conditions.
American Dental Association-Public
Includes extensive information on oral health, cosmetic dentistry, restorative procedures, and even games and animations for children and classroom resources for teachers. A glossary of dental terms, a directory of dentists and a section in Spanish add useful information.
American Diabetes Association (ADA)
Extensive interactive tools add information and interest to this lively website. Diabetes assessment tools, recipes, weight-loss and exercise advice, latest diabetes research and a professional section add additional information. Information about ADA books, a message board, an email newsletter and information in Spanish are also included.
American Heart Association
Extensive information on heart disease and stroke, children’s health, healthy lifestyle, caregiving, a heart and stroke encyclopedia and information in Spanish make this the premier source for information on these conditions. There is also a link to the website of American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, which shares some of the same information on its website at http://www.strokeassociation.org. Local area events and local chapters are covered and some scientific and professional materials are also available.
American Lung Association
This is an excellent site with information on lung diseases, tobacco control, and air quality. Attractive and easy to use, it has special sections on asthma, allergy, treatment, how the lung functions and “Diseases A-Z” on lung disorders. There is a search by zip code for local chapter information, sign-up for a free email newsletter, and some information on current research efforts. A sub-section is available in Spanish.
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
Information, advocacy, research, information on local chapters and support groups and a “Ask the Allergist” email feature make this an extremely useful website. Also included are some multimedia information, a pollen count by zip code feature, and information on clinical trials and new treatments. Some of their patient brochures can be downloaded as well as ordered via the mail (with a few of them in Spanish).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The CDC, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, deals with preventing and controlling disease, injury and disability and its website ably reflects this mission. One of the best government websites on the internet, its coverage is broad. Its “Diseases and Conditions” section covers major chronic and many infectious diseases including AIDS, bird flu, common childhood diseases like measles and more exotic diseases like Ebola . Birth defects, traveler’s health, emergency preparedness, vaccine and immunization information, accidents and injury information, infectious diseases and workplace safety and health are all covered. The full text of many CDC publications are available as well as extensive public health information of all kinds. Rich in information and colorfully illustrated, it also provides information in Spanish.
Mayo Clinic-- Disease and Conditions A-Z
Each topic has sections on the signs and symptoms, causes, risk factors, screening and diagnosis, complications, treatment, and when to seek medical advice. You can sign up for a weekly email newsletter, an RSS feed and a personalized page with automatically updated content. A symptom checker and first aid guide are also included in this section.
MedlinePlus, Health Topics (National Library of Medicine)
A directory to the most reliable sources of information on health and disease on the internet, this is often the place to start your search for health information. Frequently updated, it lists webpages with information on diagnosis, treatment, clinical trials and more. There are often interactive tutorials, links to major organizations, suggestions on other related conditions, and a link to a pre-formatted search of the medical literature on each page. Spanish versions of each page can often be found by clicking the español button at the top.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Extensive information on types of cancer, treatments, coping with cancer, a dictionary of cancer terms, the NCI drug dictionary, cancer statistics, clinical trials, cancer prevention, genetics, and fulltext of NCI fact sheets form this important website. There is a link to PDQ (Physicians Data Query) which is NCI’s comprehensive databases of cancer information and treatment for physicians. A telephone help line, live online chat service and email help support the extensive information found here. Information is also available in Spanish.
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC)
Description: The NDDIC site has an A to Z list of digestive disease topics and titles illustrated with drawings, statistics, list of clinical trials, links to patient organizations, and government agencies & resources. Special sections of easy-to-read information and information is Spanish are included.
National Eye Institute Health Information (NEI)
A diagram of the eye, glossary of eye-related terms, fact sheets and some videos on eye diseases and condition and eye organization database make this site especially useful. Tips on finding an eye care professional and on financial aid for eye care, as well as information in Spanish, add to this site’s usefulness.
National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute (NHLBI)
NHLBI site provides extensive information on conditions that affect the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and blood and on sleep disorders. Health assessment tools, educational tutorials and recipes provide useful additional information. Full text color versions of data fact sheets are also available. Information for healthcare professionals is included.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Health Information
This site provides information about the signs and symptoms, treatment and resources available for mental illnesses. Full text of booklets and pamphlets on mental illness can be downloaded or printed. The latest news on mental illness, help in locating services, a link to clinical trials and pre-formatted Medline searches for the latest information add to the usefulness of this site. While the site isn’t in Spanish, many of the booklets and pamphlets are available in Spanish and a link to information on MedlinePlus in Spanish is provided.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stoke (NINDS)
Extensive information on neurological disorders is provided at this website. The Disorders Index provides an alphabetic list of hundreds of neurological conditions, their treatments, prognosis, clinical research and contact information for organizations concerned with the condition. Clicking on the link to research literature under each condition leads you to a PubMed search on the condition. An accessible version of the web page is also provided. A news feed, list of patient resources and organizations and Spanish versions of some fact sheets on disorders can also be found at the NINDS website.
National Stoke Association
This site provides excellent information on the symptoms of stoke, risk factors, prevention and recovery. Information specifically for women, for men, for African Americans, and caregivers and families as well as medical and EMS professionals is provided. Full text of the consumer publication Stroke Smart and NSA pamphlets are available, as well as sign up for a free subscription. Some fact sheets are available in English, French and Spanish.
Your Orthopaedic Connection (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
Colorfully illustrated patient information is presented by body site and by category. Information on injury prevention, osteoarthritis, sports and exercise, joint replacement and tumors are covered thoroughly. Extensive Spanish language factsheets are provided as well as some information in Japanese, Portuguese, and Thai. A directory of orthopaedists by name, city, zip code and country is provided.
Drug Information Resources
AIDSmeds.com
“Check My Meds” is an interactive form that allows you to create a personalized drug interaction report. Users can determine whether the drugs you are taking interact with each other or interact with certain foods to cause a bad reaction in your body. Although the site is primarily intended for those with HIV/AIDS, the information here is valuable for every consumer.
CenterWatch/Clinical Trials Listing Service
This useful resource lists newly approved drugs; drugs in current clinical research; weekly trial results as well as a link to the PDR Family Medical Guide for Prescription Drugs.
Drug InfoNet
This site provides not only prescription drug information and information from the drug manufacturers, but also provides information on diseases and links to various healthcare organizations and government sites. Also includes healthcare news and more!
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The Food and Drug Administration oversees the regulation of pharmaceutical and food products, as well as medical devices. The site is a wealth of both consumer and professional information, including drug-specific information and tips for taking medications, buying generic drugs, and saving money on prescriptions. The site also features a consumer safety guide to buying medications online, along with information on medical product safety and both drug-drug and drug-food interactions.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products
This resource provides an index and easy search providing evidence-based information about herbs, botanicals, supplements, and more.
Needy Meds
NeedyMeds attempts to bring together programs from the various pharmaceutical manufacturers to assist people who can't afford to purchase their prescriptions. Each company has its own program, special requirements, forms and procedures. To date, no central clearinghouse exists for obtaining information about the information or the drugs themselves. This site is an information source only.
RxList - The Internet Drug Index
A very useful drug index, It has an excellent search engine and provides information on both a consumer and professional level. Information on various disease categories is also provided as is Taber's Medical Encyclopedia. An advanced search engine is also available which allows searching by drug name, keyword, imprint code, NDC and medical terminology as well.
For Health Professionals
Entrez PubMed
PubMed offers free, online access to the National Institute of Medicine’s MEDLINE databases. The site provides access to citations and abstracts from biomedical literature. If a publisher has a web site that offers full-text of its journals, PubMed provides links to that site as well as biological resources, consumer health information, research tools, and more. While there are some free full-text articles available, many publishers charge a fee for access to full-text.
HealthWeb
HealthWeb is a joint project of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) member health sciences libraries. Each of the CIC member libraries has subject areas in which they have special expertise, known as "areas of excellence." Working from these areas of excellence has made it possible to provide coverage of evaluated, non-commercial, health related Internet sites.
MedScape
Users of this site must register. The user then selects a subject site. There is no "homepage" but users can select other subjects or search. Free MEDLINE is available as well as value added news and reviews and full text of selected journal articles and textbooks.
Public Library of Science
The Public Library of Science is a nonprofit organization that publishes freely available open access journals covering all aspects of life science and medicine. PLoS publishes peer-reviewed scientific and medical journals that include original research as well as timely feature articles.
Other Useful Health Sites
AMA Doctor Finder
Find a Doctor: This is a comprehensive Web database directory of medical doctors (MDs) and osteopaths (DOs) practicing in the United States. Search by physician name or specialty. Information provided includes basic professional data (medical school, year of graduation, board certification, telephone number, address) for both AMA members and non-members.
CenterWatch Clinical Trials Listing Service
CenterWatch Clinical Trials Listing Service contains trials for many types of diseases. It is searchable by disease categories and geographic area. All of the trials listed are open (enrolling new patients).
ClinicalTrials.gov
The U.S. National Institutes of Health, through its National Library of Medicine, has developed ClinicalTrials.gov to provide patients, family members and members of the public current information about clinical research studies. Before searching, you may want to learn more about clinical trials and more about this Web site. Check often for regular updates to ClinicalTrials.gov. ClinicalTrials.gov provides easy access to information about the location of clinical trials, their design and purpose, criteria for participation and additional disease and treatment information. Check often for regular updates to ClinicalTrials.gov.
eMedicine Health
This site provides health, medical, lifestyle and wellness information for all ages. In addition, there is information to prepare consumers for medical emergencies, injuries, minor medical conditions and basic first aid. There are more than 5,500 pages of content written by physicians for the general public.
FamilyDoctor.org
Sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians, this site features comprehensive consumer health information in both English and Spanish. Some of its interesting features include a “Smart Patient Guide,” helping people to advocate effectively for their own health care; a guide to OTC (over the counter) medications; and Health Tools, a section that includes physician referral searching, a medical dictionary, and searching by symptom.
Innerbody - Human anatomy
An interactive site for the study of human anatomy.
Quackwatch
Consumer Information: Quackwatch is a nonprofit company formed by Dr. Stephen Barrett to expose health-related "frauds, myths, fads and fallacies". Well-researched, up-to-date, authoritative information on a wide range of practices and medical advertising deemed questionable or obvious "quackery." English, Spanish, German, French and Portuguese language versions available.
SHCA lists these websites as a resource for its members and the industry. These listings are not an endorsement by SHCA.