General Health Resources
- BioMed Central
BioMed Central is the publisher of more than 175 peer reviewed, open access journals. All original research articles published by BioMed Central are made freely and permanently accessible online immediately upon publication. BioMed Central's portfolio of journals includes general titles such as Journal of Biology, as well as specialist journals that focus on particular disciplines.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/home/ - Center for Disease Control
This highly regarded site provides information on specific heath and safety topics, a public health image library, state and national data sets on health and disease, and much more. The A-Z index provides easy access to statistical and other information on specific conditions.
http://www.cdc.gov/ - Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The FDA oversees pharmaceuticals as well as medical devices and their approval. The FDA website provides information on the products that it regulates including: food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, and more.
http://www.fda.gov/ - Hardin Meta Directory of Internet Health Sources
Created by the University of Iowa’s Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, this is a comprehensive directory of medical and health related links. This site includes a large, up-to-date collection of medical images and information.
http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/md/ - Health Education Assets Library (HEAL)
The Health Education Assets Library (HEAL) is a digital library that provides freely accessible digital teaching resources. It includes images, video clips, animations, audio clips, presentations, and portable documents (PDF). This site provides access to several quality collections that focus on topics such as transcultural health, hematology, neurological exams, patient education, pathology, and much more.
http://www.healcentral.org/ - Institute of Medicine (IOM)
The IOM is a nonprofit organization that provides unbiased evidence based information on matters of biomedical science, medicine, and health. IOM’s site provides access to numerous reports and information on a wide variety of health issues.
http://www.iom.edu/ - The Merck Manuals
This site allows you to access the full text of several highly regarded Merck Manuals. Included are the following: The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, The Merck Manual of Medical Information--Second Home Edition, The Merck Manual of Geriatrics, The Merck Manual of Health & Aging, and The Merck Veterinary Manual.
http://www.merck.com/pubs/ - National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health
This website is a handy gateway to many of the valuable National Library of Medicine databases and resources.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ - Osh.Net: Gateway for Safety & Health Information Resources
Geared to physicians, nurses, safety professionals, and individuals concerned with safety at home and work. Topics covered include: Safety (accidents/injury statistics), Industrial Hygiene (hazardous substances, toxicology), Emergency Management, Occupational Health (travel, disability), and more.
http://www.osh.net/ - PubMed
A service of the National Library of Medicine, this resource offers access to Medline, an index of more than 13 million biomedical citations dating back to the 1950’s. Look for the “Books” link towards the top of the page to access a free, full text collection of biomedical books.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/ - PubMed Central
PubMed Central is the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) digital repository of full-text, peer-reviewed biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research journals. This excellent site provides free and unrestricted access to all materials in the PubMed Central digital collection.
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/ - United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
HHS is the U.S. government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. Access numerous categories of information by clicking the links on the left sidebar.
http://www.hhs.gov/
Complementary & Alternative
- Alternative Health News Online
This award winning site focuses on alternative, complementary, and preventive health news. It includes daily updates on alternative and conventionsl health related issues.
http://www.altmedicine.com/ - Dietary Supplements Labels Database
This database offers information about label ingredients for more than 4,000 selected brands of dietary supplements and enables users to compare ingredients in different brands. Information is also provided on the "structure/function" claims made by manufacturers. Ingredients are linked to other National Library of Medicine databases to allow users to understand the characteristics of ingredients and view the results of research pertaining to them.
http://dietarysupplements.nlm.nih.gov/dietary/index.jsp - Quackwatch
Founded by Dr. Stephen Barrett, the primary focus of this site is “quackery” related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere. Quackwatch, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation whose purpose is to combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct.
http://www.quackwatch.com/ - National Center for Complementary Medicine (NCCAM)
From the National Institutes of Health, this site contains a wealth of information pertaining to complementary and alternative healing practices. It includes information on research, clinical trials, and a variety of heath topics and treatments.
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/ - Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
Through its website, the ODS disseminates research on dietary supplements. It provides information on dietary supplement use and safety, dietary supplement fact sheets, nutrient recommendations, access to the International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements (IBIDS) Database, and more.
http://ods.od.nih.gov/ - Sloan-Kettering - About Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products
This useful resource contains information on herbs, botanicals, vitamins, and other dietary supplements. Entries typically include a clinical summary, scientific name, purported uses, constituents, mechanism of action, food sources, pharmacokinetics, warnings, adverse reactions, drug or lab interactions, and extensive references.
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11570.cfm
Consumer Health and Wellness
- CAPHIS - Consumer and Patient Health Information
Created by the librarians of the Medical Library Association, the “CAPHIS Top 100 List” is the premier gateway to quality online health information.
http://caphis.mlanet.org/consumer/index.html - Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs
Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs is a free, grant-funded public information project of Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports. It provides reports that compare prescription drugs by category and include an expert review of the scientific evidence along with pricing information. These reports are designed to help patients - in consultation with their doctors - find effective, safe and affordable medicines.
http://www.crbestbuydrugs.org/ - FDA Consumer Health Information
This Food and Drug Administration (FDA) site features timely consumer health stories on pressing FDA topics, provides links to its most requested information, includes easy to read publications, and much more. Also, be sure to visit the FDA home page http://www.fda.gov/ for in depth information on FDA regulated products, as well as links to numerous sources of information on FDA related activities.
http://www.fda.gov/consumer/default.htm - Familydoctor.org
This site is operated by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), a national medical organization representing more than 93,700 family physicians, family practice residents and medical students. All of the information on this site has been written and reviewed by physicians and patient education professionals at the AAFP.
http://www.familydoctor.org - Healthfinder
Consumer oriented database of health topics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
http://www.healthfinder.gov - Healthy People Library Project
This purpose of this website is to inform the public about health research, with an ultimate goal of enabling people to make healthier choices. Among this site’s resources is a section titled “The Science Inside” that provides access to a series of e-books on topics of general health interest, also included are links to on-line brochures on the same topics.
http://www.healthlit.org/index.htm - Hospital Compare
This consumer oriented website provides information on how well hospitals care for their adult patients. It includes patient survey results that rate the quality of care received during recent hospital stays.
http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov - Household Products Database
This database provides health and safety information on over 7000 household products. Information in the Household Products Database is taken from a variety of publicly available sources, including brand-specific labels and Material Safety Data Sheets prepared by manufacturers.
http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/ - Lab Tests Online
Lab Tests Online has been designed to help patients and family caregivers better understand the many clinical lab tests that are part of routine care, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of a broad range of conditions and diseases. This site includes test descriptions, a library of conditions and diseases, screening guide, in depth articles, and an index to news articles.
http://www.labtestsonline.org/ - Mayo Clinic
Sponsored by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, this site provides practical, well organized consumer health information. It includes information on a variety of diseases and conditions, drugs and supplements, healthy living, and much more.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/ - Medicare.gov
The official U. S. government site for people with Medicare provides access to the latest information on Medicare enrollment and benefits. It includes useful tools that allow you to compare hospitals, home health agencies, and nursing homes in your area using defined criteria and quality of care measures. This site also allows you to find and compare Medicare health plans, Medigap policies, and Medicare prescription drug plans.
http://www.medicare.gov/ - MedlinePlus
This excellent resource brings together authoritative information from National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, and other government agencies and health-related organizations. This site contains consumer oriented information on a variety of health topics; it includes directories to organizations, medical dictionary, medical encyclopedia, and a comprehensive drug database. Also available in Spanish.
medlineplus.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/medlineplus.html - NOAH: New York Online Access to Health
This online resource provides access to full-text articles on a wide variety of health topics and includes a reference database with abstracts from selected health-related periodicals. Information is easy to access and available in Spanish and English.
http://www.noah-health.org/
Directories
Health Care Providers
- Administrators in Medicine (AIM) DocFinder
AIM DocFinder is a public online directory that provides access to data from state government licensing boards; this data includes information on licensing background and disciplinary information on physicians and other health care practitioners.
http://www.docboard.org/ - American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)
The ABMS is a not-for-profit organization that represents twenty-four medical specialty boards which establish and maintain the standards for physician certification. The ABMS website allows visitors to search for certified physicians by clicking on the “Who’s Certified” link. Access to the site is free, but registration is required.
http://www.abms.org/ - American Hospital Directory
This site provides comparative data for most hospitals. It includes financial data, statistics on medical services provided, as well as basic directory information.
http://www.ahd.com/ - American Medical Association (AMA) DoctorFinder
AMA DoctorFinder provides professional information about virtually every licensed physician in the United States, including more than 690,000 doctors of medicine, and doctors of osteopathy or osteopathic medicine.
https://extapps.ama-assn.org/doctorfinder/home.jsp
Health Organizations
- DIRLINE
Created by the National Library of Medicine, DIRLINE is a directory of organizations and other resources in health and biomedicine. This site also provides access to “Health Hotlines”, a database of health-related organizations operating toll-free telephone services.
http://dirline.nlm.nih.gov/ - Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. It is the nation’s predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. JCAHO’s Quality Check database provides access to information on health care organizations that meet JCAHO’s patient safety and quality standards.
http://www.jointcommission.org/ - National Health Information Center
This site provides information on numerous leading health organizations. Includes links to websites, contact information, summaries, and more.
http://www.health.gov/nhic/AlphaKeyword.htm
Health Organizations
- DIRLINE
Created by the National Library of Medicine, DIRLINE is a directory of organizations and other resources in health and biomedicine. This site also provides access to “Health Hotlines”, a database of health-related organizations operating toll-free telephone services.
http://dirline.nlm.nih.gov/ - Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. It is the nation’s predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. JCAHO’s Quality Check database provides access to information on health care organizations that meet JCAHO’s patient safety and quality standards.
http://www.jointcommission.org/ - National Health Information Center
This site provides information on numerous leading health organizations. Includes links to websites, contact information, summaries, and more.
http://www.health.gov/nhic/AlphaKeyword.htm
Disaster Planning
- Disaster Preparedness and Response
Created by the National Library of Medicine, this document features selected resources with information for disaster preparedness and response.
http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/disasterresources_nlm.pdf - Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN)
EDEN is a collaborative multi-state effort that links college and university Extension educators from across the U.S. enabling them to use and share resources to reduce the impact of disasters. It provides access to current information on a variety of issues and has resources related to disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
http://www.eden.lsu.edu/default.aspx - Nursing Emergency Preparedness Education Coalition (NEPEC)
The NEPEC is coordinated by Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and was founded in recognition of the need for nurses to be more adequately prepared to respond to mass casualty events. This site includes a Nursing Curriculum Plan for Emergency Preparedness, access to useful websites, and other resources for disaster planning.
http://www.nursing.vanderbilt.edu/incmce/index.html
Disease Specific Sites
Alzheimer’s Disease
- Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer’s Association provides information and support to family members, caregivers, and health professionals on Alzheimer’s disease. Its website is updated daily and includes current news articles, access to numerous publications, fact sheets and reports, a visual brain tour, and more.
http://www.alz.org/ - Alzforum: Alzheimer Research Forum
Founded in 1996, the Alzheimer Research Forum reports on the latest scientific findings, creates and maintains public databases on research data and reagents, and produces discussion forums to promote debate and the dissemination of new ideas. This site includes research and drug news, information on disease management, access to publications, and more.
http://www.alzforum.org/
Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism
- Autism Society of America (ASA)
The ASA and its chapters provide information and education, support research, and advocate for programs and services for the autism community. Its site includes resources for diagnosis and consultation, treatment, and education for children with autism.
http://www.autism-society.org/ - Autism Speaks - Autism Video Glossary
This website provides access to the ASD video glossary – a unique collection of online videos that can help parents and professionals see the subtle differences between typical and delayed development in young children and spot the early red flags of autism. The videos cover aspects of social interaction, communication, repetitive behaviors and restricted interest, regulatory and sensory systems, treatments, and outcomes. New users must register to access the ASD video glossary.
http://www.autismspeaks.org/video/glossary.php - The National Autistic Society - Autism Data
Provided by the National Autistic Society (NAS) in London, England, this is a database of more than 17,000 published research papers, books, articles, videos, and other materials. Bibliographic records for items in the NAS Information Centre Library are included, in addition to research articles that are not part of the NAS’s holdings. All entries contain abstracts and are searchable by keyword.
http://www.autism.org.uk/autismdata/
Cancer
- The American Cancer Society
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the American Cancer Society is a community-based voluntary health organization with more than 3,400 local offices. Its website provides numerous resources for health care professionals, cancer patients, and their families.
http://www.cancer.org/ - The American Society of Clinical Oncology - People Living With Cancer
This site provides oncologist approved cancer information and includes comprehensive guides to more than 120 types of cancer and cancer-related syndromes.
http://www.plwc.org/portal/site/PLWC - Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF)
The mission of the GCF is to ensure public awareness of gynecologic cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and proper treatment. It also supports research and training related to gynecologic cancers. This site provides access to a variety of resources including brochures, bulletins, information sheets, and reports pertaining to women’s cancer.
http://www.thegcf.org/ - National Cancer Institute
This exceptional website provides comprehensive information on a variety of cancer topics. It includes a directory to multiples types of cancer, information on clinical trials, statistics, and other useful resources.
http://www.cancer.gov/ - National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)
The NCCN is a not-for-profit alliance of twenty of the world’s leading cancer centers working together to develop treatment guidelines for most cancers. Among this site’s resources is an online library of clinical practice guidelines.
http://www.nccn.org/ - OncoLink
Created by the cancer specialists at the University of Pennsylvania, this website provides current information on specific types of cancer, updates on cancer treatment, news about research advances, and more.
http://www.oncolink.com/ - Oncology Nursing Society - Putting Evidence into Practice (PEP)
The ONS Outcomes Resource Area (ORA) provides nurses with direct patient care information and research evidence regarding outcomes. A major portion of this site is devoted to the Oncology Nursing Society’s Putting Evidence into Practice (PEP) resources. These provide evidence regarding interventions for nursing-sensitive patient outcomes, findings from synthesized reviews or meta-analysis, summary of relevant guidelines, definitions, and extensive reference lists.
http://www.ons.org/research/PEP/
Cardiovascular Disease
- American Heart Association
This site provides information on numerous cardiovascular diseases and conditions, a heart and stoke encyclopedia, information on children’s health, links to recent news releases, and more.
http://www.americanheart.org/ - National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
The NHLBI site provides information on diseases of the cardiovascular system, lungs, and sleep disorders. Links on the “Health Information and Publications” page provide access to information on numerous aspects of these conditions, some for selected audiences such as Latinos and women.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/index.htm
Diabetes
- American Diabetes Association
This website covers a wide array of topics and includes information on nutrition, weight loss and exercise, diabetes prevention, research, and more. It also provides full text access to several scientific journals under the “Health Professionals and Scientist” link.
http://www.diabetes.org/ - Joslin Diabetes Center
Founded in 1898, the Joslin Diabetes Center focuses on three critical areas related to diabetes: research, care, and education. Its website includes an online library of consumer health resources, as well as information for researchers and health care providers.
http://www.joslin.org/ - National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse
This site provides educational materials to increase knowledge and understanding about diabetes among patients, health care professionals, and the general public.
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/
Eating Disorders
- Bulimia Nervosa Resource Guide
Produced by the ECRI Institute, this site includes a comprehensive guide to bulimia, resources for family and friends, information related to treatment, and more.
http://www.bulimiaguide.org/ - National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)
NEDA is a not-for-profit organization working to prevent eating disorders and provide treatment referrals to those suffering from anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, and those concerned with body image and weight issues. Among this site’s resources are an eating disorders information index, educational materials, information on research grants, and more.
http://www.edap.org/ - Something Fishy: Website on Eating Disorders
This site is designed to raise awareness of eating disorders, and to provide support to people with eating disorders and their loved ones. It is user friendly and features information on topics such as treatment, cultural issues, recovery, prevention and causes, and more.
http://www.something-fishy.org
Gastrointestinal Disorders
- American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)
The ACG was founded in 1932 to advance the scientific study and medical practice of diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Included among this site’s resources are practice guidelines for practitioners and brochures for patients.
http://www.acg.gi.org/ - International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD)
Founded in 1991, the IFFGD is a nonprofit education and research organization. Its site provides up-to-date information on recognizing, diagnosing, treating, and living with gastrointestinal disorders.
http://www.iffgd.org/ - National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC)
The NDDIC site is a comprehensive resource for digestive disease information. It includes easy-to-read publications and a well organized A-Z list of digestive disease topics and titles.
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/
Genetic Disorders
- Genetics and Genomics for Patients and the Public
This site provides authoritative answers to common questions about genetics disorders, and genetic and genomic science. It includes information on specific genetic disorders, genetic testing, useful links, and more.
http://www.genome.gov/19016903 - Genetics Home Reference
This site provides consumer friendly information about the effects of genetic variations on human health. It includes information on the genetics of more than 200 health conditions, diseases, and syndromes as well as information on related genes and chromosomes. Also included are a Help Me Understand Genetics handbook, a glossary of medical and genetic definitions, useful links to genetics information and organizations, and much more.
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/ - National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
Unfortunately, the reports available through the National Organization for Rare Disorders are not available for free. Despite this fact, however, the NORD site remains valuable for its extensive index of rare diseases. Brief descriptions of each disorder are provided, along with information on related organizations.
http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html
HIV/Aids
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: HIV/AIDS
This site offers national and global perspectives on numerous topics related to HIV/AIDS. It also provides brochures, fact sheets, an FAQ, and access to numerous publications and reports.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/default.htm - HIV/AIDS Information: National Library of Medicine
This comprehensive AIDS information service provides access to the latest information on AIDS research, diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention.
http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/hiv.html - HIV/AIDS - Kaiser Family Foundation
Noted for quality information on issues related to public health, this site provides access to numerous HIV/AIDS resources. Included are reports, fact sheets, and statistics on the global and national HIV/AIDS epidemic. This site also provides a handy “Global HIV/AIDS Timeline” with key HIV-related events and noteworthy activities from 1981 through today.
http://www.kff.org/hivaids/index.cfm - HIV InSite: Gateway to HIV and AIDS Knowledge
This website, created by the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, provides comprehensive and up-to-date information on HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and policy.
http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/ - UNAIDS: The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
UNAIDS brings together the efforts and resources of ten United Nations organizations to help the world prevent new HIV infections, care for people living with HIV, and mitigate the impact of the epidemic. The UNAIDS site provides information on individual countries and regions, HIV data, and numerous reports and publications on the global AIDS epidemic. The site also has a “Multimedia Gallery” with video, audio, and photographic materials.
http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp - Wisconsin AIDS/HIV Program
The Wisconsin AIDS/HIV Program is the lead agency in Wisconsin government responsible for coordinating the state’s public health response to the AIDS/HIV epidemic. This site includes statistics and reports for the state of Wisconsin.
http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/aids-hiv/
Drugs and Chemicals
- ChemIDplus Lite
This web-based search system, created by the National Library of Medicine, contains over 380,000 chemicals, synonyms, structures, regulatory list information, and links to other databases.
http://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/chemidlite.jsp - Drug Digest
DrugDigest is a comprehensive source of noncommercial, evidence-based, consumer-oriented drug information. It includes a useful drug interaction calculator, database of pill images, extensive information on herbs and supplements, and much more.
http://www.drugdigest.org - Drug Information Portal
Provided by the National Library of Medicine and other key government agencies, this site gives quick access to comprehensive information on more that 12,000 selected drugs.
http://druginfo.nlm.nih.gov/drugportal/drugportal.jsp - Drugs@FDA
This Food and Drug Administration (FDA) database includes information on approved and tentatively approved prescription, over-the-counter, and discontinued drugs.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/ - Environmental Health and Toxicology: TOXNET
This comprehensive toxicology and environmental health website includes links to databases, bibliographies, tutorials, and other scientific and consumer-oriented resources. The resources available through this site include a Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB), Household Products Database, and more.
http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro.html - Household Products Database
This database provides health and safety information on over 7000 household products. Information in the Household Products Database is taken from a variety of publicly available sources, including brand-specific labels and Material Safety Data Sheets prepared by manufacturers.
http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/ - MedlinePlus: Drugs & Supplements
This excellent resource provides thorough, easily understood information on prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and herbs and supplements. The information found in this database is provided by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), United States Pharmacopeia (USP), and Natural Standard.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html
Evidence Based Practice
- Bandolier
Bandolier is an independent online journal that offers summaries and commentaries on evidence-based healthcare. Information comes from systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized trials, and from high quality observational studies.
http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/ - BestBETs
BETs (Best Evidence Topics) were developed in the Emergency Department of Manchester Royal Infirmary (United Kingdom), to provide rapid evidence-based answers to real-life clinical questions. This site provides evidence based summaries for topics in emergency medicine, cardiothoracic, nursing, primary care, and pediatrics.
http://www.bestbets.org/ - CMA Infobase - Clinical Practice Guidelines
This site provides access to the Canadian Medical Association's online collection of current Canadian clinical practice guidelines. Many of the guidelines are available in full text and may include patient guides and quick reference sheets.
http://mdm.ca/cpgsnew/cpgs/index.asp - Centre for Evidence Based Medicine
Created by the University of Oxford, this site provides an EBM Toolbox, teaching materials, and other resources that support the practice of evidence-based health care.
http://www.cebm.net/ - Evidence-Based Practice in the Health Sciences: Evidence-Based Nursing Tutorial
This tutorial is designed to support both curriculum-based EBP instruction and the ongoing education of practicing professionals. It consists of five instructional modules: Introduction to Evidence-Based Nursing, Structure of literature, Research design, Searching the literature, and Evaluating the quality of research.
http://ebp.lib.uic.edu/nursing/ - Guide to Community Preventive Services (Community Guide)
Created by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Community Guide provides evidence-based recommendations for programs and policies to promote population health. This site also contains links to various publications and resources.
http://www.thecommunityguide.org/ - Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC) Practice Reports
Created by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), this database provides evidence reports and technology assessments on topics relevant to clinical, social science/behavioral, economic, and other health care organization and delivery issues—specifically those that are common, expensive, and/or significant for the Medicare and Medicaid populations.
http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/epcix.htm - Health Links: Evidence-Based Practice
Created by the University of Washington, this site contains comprehensive list of resources that will help students understand the concepts of evidence-based medicine and locate evidence-based information.
http://healthlinks.washington.edu/ebp - Health Services/Technology Assessment Text (HSTAT)
HSTAT is a free, web-based resource of full-text documents that provide health information and support health care decision making. Use this site to search for clinical practice guidelines, technology assessments, and other sources of health information.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=hstat - Introduction to Evidence-Based Medicine (Duke University Medical Center Library)
Provided by Duke University, this self-paced tutorial offers a basic introduction to the principles of Evidence-Based Medicine.
http://www.hsl.unc.edu/services/tutorials/ebm/index.htm - The Joanna Briggs Institute
From the University of Adelaide, Australia, this site offers an "Evidence Libraries" page with a useful “Best Practice Information Sheet Database”. Also, look for the “Recommended Links” page under the “Resources” tab for a variety of useful links to national and international healthcare websites.
http://www.joannabriggs.edu.au/about/home.php - National Guidelines Clearinghouse
Created by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), this database provides an extensive collection of clinical practice guidelines across the spectrum of health care fields and topics.
http://www.guidelines.gov/ - National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
Produced by NICE (United Kingdom), this site provides clinical practice guidelines for promotion of good health and the prevention and treatment of illness.
http://www.nice.org.uk/ - Oncology Nursing Society - Putting Evidence into Practice (PEP)
The ONS Outcomes Resource Area (ORA) provides nurses with direct patient care information and research evidence regarding outcomes. A major portion of this site is devoted to the Oncology Nursing Society’s Putting Evidence into Practice (PEP) resources. These provide evidence regarding interventions for nursing-sensitive patient outcomes, findings from synthesized reviews or meta-analysis, summary of relevant guidelines, definitions, and extensive reference lists.
http://www.ons.org/research/PEP/ - PubMed Clinical Queries
Clinical Queries has filters that allow clinicians to perform specialized searches in PubMed. The "Search by Clinical Study Category" filter provides access to citations that correspond to specific types of clinical research scenarios. The "Find Systematic Reviews" filter provides access to citations from articles that are used in the practice of Evidence Based Medicine.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query/static/clinical.shtml
Food and Nutrition
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)
As part of the Food and Drug Administration, CFSAN is responsible for promoting and protecting the public's health by ensuring that the nation's food supply is safe, sanitary, wholesome, and honestly labeled. Its website provides access to FDA documents, recent news, information on national food safety programs, and more.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html - Dietary Supplements Labels Database
This database offers information about label ingredients for more than 4,000 selected brands of dietary supplements and enables users to compare ingredients in different brands. Information is also provided on the "structure/function" claims made by manufacturers. Ingredients are linked to other National Library of Medicine databases to allow users to understand the characteristics of ingredients and view the results of research pertaining to them.
http://dietarysupplements.nlm.nih.gov/dietary/index.jsp - The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN)
The Network’s mission is public awareness, advocacy and education, and research support for people with food allergies and anaphylaxis. This site features a “Special Allergy Alerts” page with information about mislabeled or recalled food or pharmaceutical products, and notifications of ingredient changes from food companies.
http://www.foodallergy.org/ - Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC)
FNIC serves the professional community (including educators, health professionals, and researchers) as well as consumers by providing access to a wide range of food and nutrition resources from both government and non-government sources. Its website has information on dietary guidelines, dietary supplements, food safety, infant nutrition, obesity, and more.
http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/ - Food & Nutrition Information Center - Ethnic and Cultural
This site contains information on religious and ethnic eating practices, ethnic group health data, and more.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/etext/000010.html - International Food Information Council (IFIC)
The IFIC website provides science-based information on food safety and nutrition. Topics include: food allergies, food biotechnology, international nutrition, and more. It also includes a comprehensive glossary of food-related terms.
http://ific.org/ - Milestones in U.S. Food and Drug Law History
This interesting page, found on the Food and Drug Administration’s website, features food and drug law milestones from 1820 to the present.
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/miles.html - Nutrition.gov
This site provides access to food and nutrition information from across the federal government. It serves as a gateway to reliable information on nutrition, healthy eating, physical activity, and food safety for consumers, educators and health professionals.
http://www.nutrition.gov/ - Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
Through its website, the ODS disseminates research on dietary supplements. It provides information on dietary supplement use and safety, dietary supplement fact sheets, nutrient recommendations, access to the International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements (IBIDS) Database, and more.
http://ods.od.nih.gov/ - WIN - The Weight-control Information Network
The Weight-control Information Network provides the general public, health professionals, the media, and Congress with up-to-date, science-based information on weight control, obesity, physical activity, and related nutritional issues.
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/index.htm - What's in the Food You Eat – Nutrient Profiles
Created by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), this database contains nutrient profiles for foods commonly eaten in the United States. Familiar portion sizes and food codes from the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) are included for each food.
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=17032 - Wisconsin Nutrition and Physical Activity State Plan
The Wisconsin Nutrition and Physical Activity State Plan provides a framework to help create and support environments that make it easier for all Wisconsin residents to make healthy food choices, be physically active and achieve and maintain a healthy weight. The Plan emphasizes strategies that focus on physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, breastfeeding, decreased television viewing, and balanced caloric intake and energy expenditure.
http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/health/physicalactivity/StatePlan/
Health Disparities
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
This federal agency conducts and sponsors research on healthcare quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness. It provides access to numerous reports including the National Healthcare Quality & Disparities Reports.
http://www.ahrq.gov/ - The Commonwealth Fund
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that supports independent research for improved health care practice and policy. Its website provides access to numerous publications, survey results, data charts, grant information, and more.
http://www.cmwf.org/ - Healthy People 2010 Information Access Project
The purpose of this site is to make information and evidence-based strategies related to the Healthy People 2010 objectives easier to find. It provides "pre-formulated" search strategies to published literature in PubMed Medline as well as other resources related to the Healthy People 2010 focus areas.
http://phpartners.org/hp/ - The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)
This non-profit, private operating foundation focuses on the major health care issues facing our nation. The KFF develops and runs its own research and communications programs, often in partnership with outside organizations. This site provides access to many valuable resources pertaining to health disparities.
http://www.kff.org/ - Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
Founded in 1970, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies focuses primarily on a broad range of public policy issues of concern to African Americans and other communities of color. Among this site’s resources are publications that focus on racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Look for these in the “Publications” area on the right-hand side of the homepage.
http://www.jointcenter.org/ - Medline Plus: Health Disparities
This popular consumer health website provides easy-to-understand information on the different populations affected by health disparities in the United States.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthdisparities.html - Pew Hispanic Center
Founded in 2001, the Pew Hispanic Center is a nonpartisan research organization that seeks to improve understanding of the U.S. Hispanic population and to chronicle Latinos' growing impact on the nation. It conducts and commissions studies and regularly conducts public opinion surveys on a range of social matters and public policy issues. The site includes access to publications, interactive maps, demographic profiles, state and county databases, and more.
http://pewhispanic.org/ - Refugee & Immigrant Health
Maintained by Charles Kemp at Baylor University, this site has information on health beliefs and practices of different cultures and religions. It also provides useful resources on issues in refugee health and resettlement and includes information on general health issues, infectious diseases, relief agencies and missions, sex trafficking links, and more.
http://bearspace.baylor.edu/Charles_Kemp/www/refugees.htm - United States Department of Health and Human Services - Specific Populations
This gateway to information provides access to health related resources for specific populations. Topics covered include: Disabilities, ethnic and racial minorities, homeless, rural health, veterans, women’s health, and others.
http://www.hhs.gov/specificpopulations/index.shtml
Health Literacy
- AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit [PDF]
Developed for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, this toolkit is based on the principles of universal precautions, or specific actions that providers can take to make health information more understandable for all patients. It is designed to be used by all levels of staff in practices providing primary care for adults and/or pediatric patients.
http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/literacy/healthliteracytoolkit.pdf - American Medical Association (AMA Foundation) - Health Literacy
AMA Foundation works to raise awareness of health literacy through a variety of resources available through this website. Included among these resources is a health literacy toolkit with an in-depth manual for health care providers.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/8115.html - Ask Me 3
Sponsored by the nonprofit Partnership for Clear Health Communication, this site is a tool designed to encourage and improve communication between patients and health care providers.
http://www.askme3.org/ - Health Literacy Fact Sheets – Center for Health Care Strategies
This site offers fact sheets which cover important aspects of health literacy. The fact sheets, created by the Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc., were revised in 2003.
http://www.chcs.org/publications3960/publications_show.htm?doc_id=291711 - Health & Literacy Special Collection
This site is a gateway to numerous health literacy resources that are indexed by subject or language. The archives and instructions for joining the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) electronic mailing list are also included.
http://healthliteracy.worlded.org/ - Health Literacy Studies – Harvard School of Public Health
This site is designed to help professionals learn about resources and curricula for health literacy development. It covers a variety of topics and includes a selection of website links for research and practice.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy/ - National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL)
Sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics, the NAAL is a nationally representative and continuing assessment of English langrage literacy skills of American adults. Included among this site’s resources is access to The Health Literacy of America’s Adults: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy.
http://nces.ed.gov/naal/ - The National Literacy and Health Program (NLHP)
The Canadian Public Health Association's NLHP promotes awareness among health professionals of the links between literacy and health; its site provides access to reports and other resources.
http://www.cpha.ca/en/portals/h-l.aspx - Virginia Adult Education Health Literacy Toolkit
Designed as a resource to help adult education instructors and administrators better understand the problem of health literacy as it affects learners, this site provides a good overview of health literacy. It includes practical advice for educators and health care providers.
http://www.aelweb.vcu.edu/publications/healthlit/
Health Policy
- AcademyHealth
AcademyHealth is a non-partisan resource that promotes interaction across the health research and policy arenas. Its site provides access to publications and reports pertaining to coverage and access, disparities, long-term care, patient safety, and more.
http://www.ahsrhp.org/ - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
This federal agency conducts and sponsors research on healthcare quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness. It provides access to numerous reports including the National Healthcare Quality & Disparities Reports.
http://www.ahrq.gov/ - American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI)
Founded in 1943, AEI is a private, nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution dedicated to research and education on issues of government, politics, economics, and social welfare. Its website posts its publications, videos and transcripts of its conferences, biographies of its scholars and fellows, and schedules of upcoming events.
http://www.aei.org/ - American Public Health Association (APHA)
The APHA is the oldest and largest organization of public health professionals in the world. Among this site’s many resources is a section on legislation, advocacy and policy. This site also includes a directory of state public health association’s websites.
http://www.apha.org/ - The Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a private, nonprofit organization that promotes independent research and innovative policy solutions. Its site provides access to many publications that pertain to health policy including: news releases, policy briefs, reports, and more.
http://www.brook.edu/ - The Commonwealth Fund
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that supports independent research for improved health care practice and policy. Its website provides access to numerous publications, survey results, data charts, grant information, and more.
http://www.cmwf.org/ - Duke Health Policy Gateway
Organized by categories, this site is a comprehensive gateway to health policy websites. It covers key health policy issues such as health coverage, health reform, public health, and more. This site provides access to state, national, and international resources.
http://www.hpolicy.duke.edu/cyberexchange/ - Healthy People 2010
Created by scientists both inside and outside of government, Healthy People 2010 is a comprehensive set of disease prevention and health promotion objectives for the United States. It identifies a wide range of public health priorities and specific, measurable objectives. Also outlined are the Federal government’s twenty-eight key areas for improving health of all Americans.
http://www.healthypeople.gov/ - Healthy People 2010 Information Access Project
The purpose of this site is to make information and evidence-based strategies related to the Healthy People 2010 objectives easier to find. It provides "pre-formulated" search strategies to published literature in PubMed Medline as well as other resources related to the Healthy People 2010 focus areas.
http://phpartners.org/hp/ - The Heritage Foundation
A conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation publishes research on domestic and foreign policy issues. Included among this site’s resources are numerous research reports pertaining to health care.
http://www.heritage.org/ - Health Policy Monitor
This site presents current health policy ideas and legislation at various stages of planning and implementation. Created by the International Network Health Policy & Reform, the purpose of this website is to enrich health policy discussions in and across countries.
http://www.health-policy-monitor.org/index.jsp - The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)
Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private operating foundation that focuses on the major health care issues facing our nation. The KFF develops and runs its own research and communications programs, often in partnership with outside organizations. This site provides access to many valuable resources pertaining to health policy.
http://www.kff.org/ - Hospital Compare
This consumer oriented website provides information on how well hospitals care for their adult patients. It includes patient survey results that rate the quality of care received during recent hospital stays.
http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov - Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP)
IRP is a center for interdisciplinary research into the causes and consequences of poverty and social inequality in the United States. As one of three Area Poverty Research Centers sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it has a particular interest in poverty and family welfare in the Midwest. The Institute publishes numerous reports on poverty which are available through this website.
http://www.irp.wisc.edu/ - Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
Founded in 1970, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies focuses primarily on a broad range of public policy issues of concern to African Americans and other communities of color. Among this site’s resources are publications that focus on racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Look for these in the “Publications” area on the right-hand side of the homepage.
http://www.jointcenter.org/ - National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (NAPH)
The NAPH represents over 100 hospitals and health systems that together comprise the essential infrastructure of many of America's largest metropolitan health systems. Its site contains information about legal and health care policy issues that have an impact on poor and underserved populations.
http://www.naph.org/ - Public Policy - Institute of Medicine (IOM)
The IOM is a nonprofit organization that provides unbiased evidence based information on matters of biomedical science, medicine, and health. This page contains links to current projects, events, and reports concerning public policy. A variety of issues are featured including smallpox vaccination strategies, insurance coverage, and vaccine financing.
http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3716.aspx - RAND Health
A division on the nonprofit RAND Corporation, RAND Health provides research summaries, publications, and survey data related to current health policy concerns. It includes information on topics such as diversity of health, public health, quality of care, and more.
http://rand.org/health/ - The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
The RWJF provides research grants in health care and works toward the reduction of health disparities. Findings of each grant report are available online.
http://www.rwjf.org/ - State Health Notes: Vital Signs for State Policymakers
Published by the National Conference of State Legislatures, this free biweekly newsletter delivers timely and unbiased health policy news and analyses. The newsletter offers a state perspective on health-care issues and informs readers about new and innovative state bills, laws, and programs.
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/shn/ - Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet
Includes information on House and Senate bills with their text and status, text of the Congressional Record, and committee information.
http://thomas.loc.gov - Trust for America's Health (TFAH)
Trust for America's Health is a non-profit, non-partisan research group that focuses on disease prevention. This website provides numerous statistics and reports on issues relating to health policy and public health in the United States.
http://healthyamericans.org/ - United Health Foundation
The mission of the United Health Foundation is to provide information that supports the health and medical decisions made by health professionals, individuals, and community leaders in order to create better health outcomes and healthier communities. Among this site’s resources are the America's Health Rankings™ reports."
http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/ - United States Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
The HRSA is the primary Federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. Included among this site’s many resources is a Geospatial Data Warehouse.
http://www.hrsa.gov/ - The Urban Institute
An independent nonpartisan organization, the Urban Institute gathers and analyzes data, conducts policy research, and evaluates programs and services related to various issues of national priority. To access information pertaining to health policy, click on “Health / Healthcare” link.
http://www.urban.org/ - Wisconsin PricePoint
Created by the Wisconsin Hospital Association, this site uses data collected by the state of Wisconsin to provide information on hospital charges and lengths of stay for common procedures. Users may compare data for individual hospitals to state and county averages. The site includes data for inpatient, outpatient, and emergency/urgent care services in Wisconsin.
http://www.wipricepoint.org/
Health Statistics
Wisconsin Health Statistics
- Aurora Health Care: Community Health Surveys
The surveys were conducted through a grant provided by Aurora Health Care. The reports are part of a comprehensive survey of eastern Wisconsin commissioned in partnership with local health departments to identify areas of greatest need.
http://www.aurorahealthcare.org/yourhealth/comm-health-reports/index.asp - State Health Facts Online
Created by the Kaiser Family Foundation, this site contains the latest state-level data on demographics, health, health policy, health coverage and access, financing, and state legislation.
http://www.statehealthfacts.org/profileglance.jsp?rgn=51 - University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute - Wisconsin County Health Rankings
This report ranks Wisconsin communities on various measures of population health in the form of health determinants and health outcomes. The purpose of the Rankings is to contrast measures of population health and its determinants and, thus, stimulate and engage discussion with the Wisconsin health policy and public health communities. Also, be sure to visit the Institute’s home page http://www.pophealth.wisc.edu/UWPHI/ to access a variety of reports, recent publications, upcoming events, and special features.
http://www.pophealth.wisc.edu/UWPHI/pha/wchr.htm - Wisconsin Health Statistics
Created by the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, this website provides access to numerous statistical reports on a variety of topics related to health information and patient care.
http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/stats/index.htm - Wisconsin PricePoint
Created by the Wisconsin Hospital Association, this site uses data collected by the state of Wisconsin to provide information on hospital charges and lengths of stay for common procedures. Users may compare data for individual hospitals to state and county averages. The site includes data for inpatient, outpatient, and emergency/urgent care services in Wisconsin.
http://www.wipricepoint.org/ - Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)
The YRBS is conducted as part of a national effort by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor health-risk behaviors of the nation's high school students. The behaviors monitored by the Wisconsin YRBS include traffic safety; weapons and violence; suicide; tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; sexual behavior; and diet, nutrition and exercise.
http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/sspw/yrbsindx.html
National Health Statistics
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Research, Statistics, Data & Systems
Created by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, this site provides access to Medicare and Medicaid statistics, trends, and reports.
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/home/rsds.asp - Childstats.gov
This website offers easy access to statistics and reports on children and families, including: population and family characteristics, economic security, health, behavior and social environment, and education.
http://childstats.gov/ - FedStats
This website is gateway to statistics from over 100 U.S. Federal agencies. To access health specific statistics, select “Agencies by Subject – Health”.
http://www.fedstats.gov/ - Health Services and Sciences Research Resources (HSRR)
Provided by the National Information Center on Health Services Research (NICHSR) at the National Library of Medicine, HSRR is a free searchable catalog of research datasets, instruments and software relevant to health services research, behavioral and social sciences, and public health.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/hsrr_search/ - Health Statistical Resources on the Web – University of Michigan
Index of links to a broad range of statistical health resources; includes sites with international and national statistics.
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/sthealth.html - Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
The HCUP longitudinal databases contain discharge-level information on inpatient care in U.S. hospitals or ambulatory surgery encounters. The data can be used to identify, track, and analyze national and state trends in health care utilization, access, charges, quality, and outcomes.
http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/ - KIDS COUNT
A project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, KIDS COUNT is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States. This website provides access to statistical data and reports, and offers four data systems that allow visitors to create free, customized data reports.
http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/ - Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) website provides data from large-scale surveys of families and individuals, their medical providers, and employers across the United States. MEPS is a comprehensive source of information on the cost and use of health care and health insurance coverage.
http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/ - National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
The NCHS is the nation’s principal health statistics agency. This site provides access to a rich collection of statistical information on vital events, health status, lifestyle, unhealthy influences, and more. The “FastStats” page provides quick access to statistics on topics of public health importance and is organized alphabetically.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs - State Health Facts Online
Created by the Kaiser Family Foundation, this site contains the latest state-level data on demographics, health, health policy, health coverage and access, financing, and state legislation.
http://www.statehealthfacts.org/ - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
The latest national data on (1) alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drug abuse, (2) drug related emergency department episodes and medical examiner cases, and (3) the nation’s substance abuse treatment system.
http://oas.samhsa.gov/ - WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System)
Provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, WISQARS is an interactive database system that provides customized reports of injury-related data.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars/
International Health Statistics
- Disease Control Priorities Project (DCPP)
The DCPP is an ongoing effort to assess disease control priorities and produce evidence-based analysis and resource materials to inform health policymaking in developing countries. This site provides access to the comprehensive DCPP publications, related research reports, current news, and more.
http://www.dcp2.org/page/main/Home.html - Globalhealthfacts.org
This website provides free, up-to-date data by country on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other key health and socio-economic indicators. The data are displayed in tables, charts, and color-coded maps and can be downloaded for custom analyses. This is the companion site to GlobalHealthReporting.org.
http://www.globalhealthfacts.org/ - Infonation
View and compare statistical data for countries that are a part of the United Nations.
http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/infonation3/menu/advanced.asp - International Programs Center (IPC)
IPC is part of the Population Division of the U.S. Census Bureau; it assists in collection, processing, analysis, dissemination, and use of statistics with counterpart governments throughout the world.
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/ - United Nations - Millennium Development Goals Indicators
This site presents the official data, definitions, methodologies and sources for more than 60 indicators to measure progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. These goals were designed by world leaders to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women.
http://millenniumindicators.un.org/unsd/mdg/Default.aspx - WHO World Health Statistics (WHOSIS)
World Health Organization’s guide to international statistical and epidemiological information.
http://www.who.int/whosis/en/index.html
International Health
- Canadian Institute for Health Information
Research reports, statistics, publications, and a variety of online resources provide detailed information that support the effective delivery of health services and raise awareness among Canadians of the factors that contribute to good health.
http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=home_e - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Travelers' Health
This site provides timely information on the current distribution of many diseases, recent outbreaks, and recommended vaccinations for travel. You can find information on specific destinations, topics, or groups and settings. This site also provides access to the Yellow Book which is published every two years by CDC as a reference for those who advise international travelers of health risks. The Yellow Book is written primarily for health care providers, although others might find it useful.
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/ - Cuba Health Reports
This regularly updated site offers current news, interviews, background to the headlines, and profiles of leading figures in Cuban medicine and public health. It also provides access to Cuban health data and articles published in MEDICC Review, an English-language periodical about Cuban medical and public health policy, research, programs, and outcomes.
http://www.medicc.org/cubahealthreports/ - Demographics and Health Surveys (DHS)
The DHS program collects, analyzes, and disseminates data on population, health, HIV, and nutrition on more than seventy-five developing countries. Its website provides access to data sets, country summaries, and comparative and analytical reports.
http://www.measuredhs.com/ - GlobalHealth.gov
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this site is designed to promote the health of the world's population through the advancement of global strategies and partnerships. It contains a useful FAQ, access to various publications and reports, health statistics, useful links, and more.
http://www.globalhealth.gov/ - Harvard World Health News
World Health News offers original reporting along with a digest of news stories and commentaries from newspapers and magazines worldwide. It includes special features prepared by the Harvard School of Public Health, such as videotaped interviews with experts and access to radio and television coverage of important breaking public health news stories from websites of leading news organizations.
http://www.worldhealthnews.harvard.edu/ - Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
PAHO is an international public health agency with 100 years of experience in working to improve health and living standards of the countries of the Americas. It serves as the specialized organization for health of the Inter-American System.
http://www.paho.org/ - Population Reference Bureau (PRB)
Funded by private foundations, government agencies, and individual donors, the PRB provides timely and objective information on United States and international population trends and their implications.
http://www.prb.org/ - United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
UNICEF is the leading advocate for children’s rights, active in 191 countries through country programs and National Committees. Its website provides information to individual countries and includes statistics on education, health, nutrition, and more.
http://www.unicef.org/index.php - United Nations - Millennium Development Goals Indicators
This site presents the official data, definitions, methodologies and sources for more than 60 indicators to measure progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. These goals were designed by world leaders to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women.
http://millenniumindicators.un.org/unsd/mdg/Default.aspx - World Health Organization (WHO)
This comprehensive site provides detailed information on many aspects of health care for countries that are members of WHO. It provides information on disease outbreaks, health statistics, traveler’s health, and more. Also includes access to many WHO publications, including the respected World Health Report.
http://www.who.int/en/ - WorldWideScience
WorldWideScience is a prototype global science gateway connecting users to national and international scientific databases. This site, unfortunately, does not provide full text access to all of the indexed articles and may contain records in foreign languages. Despite these facts, however, it remains a powerful tool for performing comprehensive searches for obscure or hard to find global health information. Contact an Alverno librarian for help locating the full text of articles found in this database.
http://www.worldwidescience.org/
NCLEX
- NCLEX Study Resources
Created by Alverno librarians, this wiki (collaborative website) provides access to numerous resources (books, websites, etc.) that will help students succeed on the NCLEX exam.
http://alvernonclex.pbwiki.com/
Nursing
- American Nurses Association
This site provides information on current issues in nursing and includes a sophisticated career center with a searchable job database. While some of the content is limited to members only, much of the information is available for free.
http://www.nursingworld.org/ - International Council of Nurses (ICN)
Representing more than 128 countries, ICN is a federation of national nursing associations that focus on quality in nursing internationally and global health policy.
http://www.icn.ch/ - National Coalition of Ethnic and Minority Nurse Association (NCEMNA)
The NCEMNA offers information and links to American nurses’ associations representing major United States ethnic groups including: Asian American/Pacific Islander, Alaska Native American, Hispanic, Black, and Philippine.
http://www.ncemna.org/ - National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
This nonprofit membership organization is comprised of State Boards of Nursing from the United States and its territories. It is the body that develops and administers the National Council Licensure Examination. This website includes a Boards of Nursing directory.
https://www.ncsbn.org/index.htm - National League for Nursing (NLN)
The NLN is a membership organization whose mission is to advance “excellence in nursing education that prepares the nursing workforce to meet the needs of diverse populations in an ever-changing healthcare environment”. Its website includes resources for continuing education, recent political and health news, information on research grants and funding, and more.
http://www.nln.org/ - Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN)
OJIN is a free, peer reviewed international journal that addresses topics affecting nursing practice, research, and education. OJIN was the first published in June 1996, making it the first totally electronic journal in nursing.
http://www.nursingworld.org/ojin/ - Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO)
This site provides access to professional nursing resources; it includes a collection of best practice guidelines, information on health policy, and more.
http://www.rnao.org/ - RN Central
Created by nurses, this site offers predefined nursing care plans on a variety of topics. Also provided are links to other great resources.
http://www.rncentral.com/nursing-library/careplans
Research
- The AHRQ Informed Consent and Authorization Toolkit
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed the Informed Consent and Authorization Toolkit for Minimal Risk Research to facilitate the process of obtaining informed consent and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) authorization from potential research subjects. This toolkit contains information for people responsible for ensuring that potential research subjects are informed in a manner that is consistent with medical ethics and regulatory guidelines.
http://www.ahrq.gov/fund/informedconsent/ - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
This federal agency conducts and sponsors research on healthcare quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness. The site has information for consumers and as well as health practitioners and includes a research section devoted to nursing.
http://www.ahrq.gov/ - Bioethics Resources on the Web
Created by the National Institute of Health, this site provides access to a wide selection of resources that provide background information and various positions on issues in bioethics.
http://bioethics.od.nih.gov/ - Author Manuscripts on PubMed Central
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Public Access Policy requests that research funded by the NIH be made available to the public through the National Library of Medicine's PubMed Central (PMC). Click on the “list of author manuscript” link to access this collection of electronic peer-reviewed manuscripts.
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/about/authorms.html - CIOMS International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subject
Created by the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS), this site provides access to the full text of the International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects. Revised and updated in 2002, this text includes 21 guidelines on ethics and scientific validity of research, informed consent, vulnerability of individuals and populations, women as research subjects, confidentiality, compensation for injury, and other topics.
http://www.cioms.ch/frame_guidelines_nov_2002.htm - ClinicalTrials.gov
ClinicalTrials.gov provides regularly updated information about federally and privately supported clinical research in human volunteers. This site also gives information about a trial's purpose, who may participate, locations, and phone numbers for more details.
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/gui - Federal Legislation and Regulations for Research with Humans
Produced by the American Psychological Association (APA), this site contains links to federal regulations for the Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, and Department of Education. Also included are links to the Belmont Report, text of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, and the privacy provisions of the Health Insurance and Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This site also provides access to information on nonhuman animal research and much more.
http://www.apa.org/research/responsible/human/index.aspx - Google Scholar
A subset of Google, Google Scholar provides access to scholarly journal citations from a wide range of subject areas, with the strongest coverage in science & technology. Google Scholar is not valued as a repository for free full text articles, because many items are not available in full text. The real value of this site is its citation index – a handy research tool that allows users to easily establish which documents cite a particular research article. It is an excellent tool for verifying citations and locating similar articles. To access the citation index, look for the “cited by” link.
http://scholar.google.com/ - Grants.gov
Grants.gov is the premier source for finding information on federal government grants. It is a central storehouse for information on over 1,000 grant programs and provides access to approximately $400 billion in annual awards. The site includes tools and documents that will help new users understand the application process.
http://www.grants.gov/ - National Institute of Health - Regulations and Ethical Guidelines
This National Institute of Health (NIH) resource offers basic regulations and ethical guidelines for clinical research. It includes access to the Belmont Report, Code of Federal Regulations for the Protection of Human Subjects, Declaration of Helsinki, Guidelines for Conduct of Research Involving Human Subjects at NIH (gray booklet), and the Nuremberg Code.
http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/guidelines/index.html - National Institute of Nursing Research
The mission of this organization is to provide information on its own funding initiatives. Its site includes information on diversity programs and awards, links to nursing organizations for various specialties, training opportunities, and more.
http://www.ninr.nih.gov/ - ScanGrants
ScanGrants is designed to facilitate the search for funding sources to enhance individual and community health. The funding sources listed here may be of interest to medical researchers, social workers, nurses, students, community-based health educators, academics, and others. Funding sources most frequently listed include those of private foundations, corporations, businesses, and not-for profit organizations. Federal and state funding sources are typically not included.
http://www.scangrants.com/
Senior Health
- Aging in the Know
Provided by the American Geriatrics Society Foundation for Health in Aging, this site has up-to-date information on the healthcare issues of older adults. Useful features include information on health topics of concern to the elderly, a “What to Ask” page for patients and their families, and an online directory to federal government agencies and national not-for-profit organizations that address the special health care needs of older adults.
http://www.healthinaging.org/agingintheknow/default.asp - AgingStats.Gov
This site provides statistical data on the aging population collected by 15 major US government agencies. It includes access to the Older Americans: Key indicators of well-being report which has current data on older Americans and their families.
http://www.agingstats.gov/Agingstatsdotnet/Main_Site/Default.aspx - Alliance for Aging Research
Founded in 1986, the Alliance is a citizen advocacy organization that promotes medical and behavioral research into the aging process.
http://www.agingresearch.org/ - Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association provides information and support to family members, caregivers, and health professionals on Alzheimer’s disease. Its website is updated daily and includes current news articles, access to numerous publications, fact sheets and reports, a visual brain tour, and more.
http://www.alz.org/ - GeriatricWeb
This site provides a web-based geriatric digital library to be used in the education of health care professionals and in the clinical care of the older patient.
http://geriatricweb.sc.edu/ - GeroNurseOnline
This comprehensive website provides current best practice information on care of older adults.
http://www.geronurseonline.org - Medicare.gov
The official U. S. government site for people with Medicare provides access to the latest information on Medicare enrollment and benefits. It includes useful tools that allow you to compare hospitals, home health agencies, and nursing homes in your area using defined criteria and quality of care measures. This site also allows you to find and compare Medicare health plans, Medigap policies, and Medicare prescription drug plans.
http://www.medicare.gov/ - The Merck Manual of Geriatrics
This respected text features a unique interdisciplinary approach that specifically addresses the challenges facing geriatric care. It includes information on nursing care, pharmacy issues, and discussions of the best drugs for the elderly.
http://www.merck.com/mrkshared/mmg/home.jsp - The Merck Manual of Health and Aging
This text has been referred to as an “all-inclusive guide for older adults”. It includes strategies for optimizing the aging process, disease prevention, and overall health improvement.
http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_ha/contents.html - NIH Senior Health Information for Older Adults
This website is designed for older adults and was developed by the National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine. It includes information on a variety of health topics and has user friendly features for the visually impaired.
http://nihseniorhealth.gov/ - National Institute on Aging (NIA)
The National Institute of Aging provides leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people. It is the primary Federal agency on Alzheimer’s disease research. To see the NIA publications that are available to order or download free, click on the "Publications" link and browse the available categories.
http://www.nia.nih.gov/ - Older Americans
This report provides the latest data on 38 key indicators that portray aspects of the lives of older Americans and their families. It is divided into five subject areas: population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care.
http://www.agingstats.gov/agingstatsdotnet/main_site/default.aspx - Wisconsin Nursing Homes and Facilities Serving People with Developmental Disabilities
Produced by the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, this site provides access to information on nursing homes, as well as facilities serving people with developmental disabilities in Wisconsin.
http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/provider/nursinghomes.htm
Transcultural Health
- 24 Languages - Health Information in Multiple Languages
The 24 Languages Project was founded in 2000 as an endeavor to provide free online access to digitized translated consumer health brochures. Most of the resources are available as both PDF documents and audio files for download or online listening. Native speakers of the respective languages furnish narrations in a multitude of languages, including Armenian, Croatian, and Spanish.
http://library.med.utah.edu/24languages/ - Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organization
This site provides information pertaining to the health needs of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. It includes access to numerous publications, fact sheets, web links, and more.
http://www.aapcho.org/site/aapcho/ - Cross Cultural Health Care Program (CCHCP)
A not-for-profit agency, CCHCP’s aim is to serve as a bridge between cultural practices and health care institutions. This organization provides training programs, research, and interpreter information; its website has links to many valuable resources related to culturally competent health care.
http://www.xculture.org/ - Cuba Health Reports
This regularly updated site offers current news, interviews, background to the headlines, and profiles of leading figures in Cuban medicine and public health. It also provides access to Cuban health data and articles published in MEDICC Review, an English-language periodical about Cuban medical and public health policy, research, programs, and outcomes.
http://www.medicc.org/cubahealthreports/ - Cultural Orientation Resource Center
The Cultural Orientation Resource Center provides informational and resource materials for refugees, service providers, and anyone interested in learning more about refugee communities in the United States. Especially useful are the Cultural Profiles and Refugee Backgrounders publications which are found in the “Our Publications” section.
http://www.cal.org/co/ - Culture Clues™
Created by the University of Washington Medical Center, Culture Clues are short tip sheets designed to increase awareness about concepts and preferences of patients from diverse cultures. This site includes end-of-life care guidelines for certain cultures.
http://depts.washington.edu/pfes/CultureClues.htm - CulturedMed™
Created by the State University of New York (SUNY) Institute of Technology Library, this site provides bibliographies and links to online resources that discuss health beliefs or ethnographic information about various ethnic groups.
http://culturedmed.sunyit.edu/ - DiversityRx
Organized by topic, this site provides access to numerous websites with information on cross cultural health care, minority health, immigration, and more.
http://www.diversityrx.org/HTML/NEHOT.htm - EthnoMed
Created by the University of Washington Harborview Medical Center, this site contains information about cultural beliefs, medical issues, and other related issues pertinent to the health care of recent immigrants and refugees.
http://ethnomed.org/ - Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Cultural Competence
This site provides access to the Health Resources and Services Administration Study on Measuring Cultural Competence in Health Care Delivery Settings. Also included are numerous resources that will enable effective work in cross-cultural situations.
http://www.hrsa.gov/culturalcompetence/ - Indian Health Services (IHS)
This site contains information on Indian Health Service programs and the health status of American Indians and Alaska Natives receiving health care from IHS providers.
http://www.ihs.gov/ - Minority Health - Institute of Medicine (IOM)
The IOM is a nonprofit organization that provides unbiased evidence based information on matters of biomedical science, medicine, and health. This page contains links to current projects, events, and reports concerning minority health.
http://www.iom.edu/CMS/18007.aspx - Minority Health Project
Created by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this site features an extensive set of links to government and non-government minority health agencies and organizations.
http://www.minority.unc.edu/ - National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC)
The mission of the NCCC is to increase the capacity of health and mental health programs to design, implement, and evaluate culturally and linguistically competent service delivery systems. Its website features publications, online resources and tools, useful links, and more.
http://www11.georgetown.edu/research/gucchd/nccc/ - The National Center for Minority and Health Disparities (NCMHD)
The mission of the NCMHD is to promote minority health and to lead, coordinate, support, and assess the National Institute of Health’s effort to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities. This site serves as a gateway to information on strategies for addressing health disparities.
http://ncmhd.nih.gov/ - Office of Minority Health (OMH)
The OMH serves as a free information and referral service on minority health issues for community groups, consumers, professionals, and students. This site covers a variety of health topics and has links to quality minority health websites.
http://www.omhrc.gov/ - Outreach at the National Library of Medicine
This site provides access to resources that are tailored to meet the needs of minority and underserved populations. It includes information specific to American Indian, Artic, and Asian American. Consumers and health professionals practicing in rural and inner city communities will benefit from the information found here.
http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/outreach.html - Pew Hispanic Center
Founded in 2001, the Pew Hispanic Center is a nonpartisan research organization that seeks to improve understanding of the U.S. Hispanic population and to chronicle Latinos' growing impact on the nation. It conducts and commissions studies and regularly conducts public opinion surveys on a range of social matters and public policy issues. The site includes access to publications, interactive maps, demographic profiles, state and county databases, and more.
http://pewhispanic.org/ - Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)
This site offers access to information on investigations of human rights abuses, including racial and ethnic disparities in medical care. It includes numerous reports that focus on international and national issues, including The Right to Equal Treatment.
http://www.physiciansforhumanrights.org/ - Refugee & Immigrant Health
Maintained by Charles Kemp at Baylor University, this site has information on health beliefs and practices of different cultures and religions. It also provides useful resources on issues in refugee health and resettlement and includes information on general health issues, infectious diseases, relief agencies and missions, sex trafficking links, and more.
http://bearspace.baylor.edu/Charles_Kemp/www/refugees.htm - Transcultural and Multicultural Health Links
Organized in four main categories (General Resources, Religious Groups, Ethnic Groups, and Special Populations), this site brings together a large number of multicultural health resources useful to students and practitioners. Websites of national organizations, electronic news groups, and mailing lists are included where relevant.
http://web.nmsu.edu/~ebosman/trannurs/index.shtml - United States Department of Health and Human Services - Specific Populations
Look for the links titled “Ethnic and Racial Minorities” and “Immigrants and Refugees” to find numerous resources on these topics.
http://www.hhs.gov/specificpopulations/index.shtml
Women's Health
- Agency for Health Care Research and Quality - Women's Health
The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) conducts and sponsors research on healthcare quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness. It also provides access to materials, data, and clinical information on a variety of health issues – including those related to women’s health. Topics covered include: cancer, cardiovascular disease, depression, health disparities, incontinence, infectious disease, maternal health & pregnancy, violence against women, and more.
http://www.ahrq.gov/research/womenix.htm - CDC - Women's Health
Published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this site provides access to a variety of publications, resources for health professionals, and current data, figures and tables on important women’s health issues.
http://www.cdc.gov/women/ - Global Library of Women's Medicine
Based on the six-volume Gynecology and Obstetrics series, this peer reviewed website provides access to over 442 expert chapters with detailed clinical guidance on most aspects of women's medicine. Topics covered include: maternal and fetal medicine, obstetrics, gynecologic oncology, and more. Also featured is a “Safer Motherhood” section, video library, information on lab tests, and patient information leaflets.
http://www.glowm.com - Maternal and Child Health Library at Georgetown University
This site provides timely information on maternal and child health issues. It includes access to the weekly newsletter MCH Alert, resource guides, full text publications, databases, and links to other resources.
http://www.mchlibrary.info/index.html - National Women’s Health Information Center
The National Women’s Health Information Center provides information to help advance women's health research, services, and public and health professional education. It provides current information on more than 800 health topics, publications, health tools, statistics, resources for health professionals, and more.
http://www.womenshealth.gov/ - Office on Women’s Health: Quick Health Data Online
This site provides state and county level data on key issues related to women’s health. Data are available by gender, race, and ethnicity and come from a variety of national and state sources. Also provided is access to the Women’s Health and Mortality Chartbook which has current state level data on 27 different women’s health indicators.
http://www.healthstatus2010.com/owh/index.html - Women's Health Resources – National Institute of Health
This site provides information related to the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) priorities for research in women’s health. It includes access to information on a variety of health topics, as well as resources related to NIH priorities (organized according to life span, health disparities/differences and diversity, sex/gender determinants, and interdisciplinary research).
http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/outreach/whrhome.html - Women's Health USA
Published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Women’s Health USA selectively highlights emerging issues and trends in women’s health. It includes data and information on the health status of women in the United States. This publication also highlights racial and ethnic, sex/gender, and socioeconomic disparities where possible.
http://mchb.hrsa.gov/whusa09/index.html