United States National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

FAQ: Hospital Information

Question: Where can I find information about US and international hospitals?

Answer:

For information on hospitals and health facilities in the United States (US), consult the Web pages of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and other organizations. You can also look in print directories at your local library.

The NLM doesn't recommend or evaluate health care facilities. To find suggestions about how to compare facilities, go to the Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC)Web site on Choosing a Health Care Facility.

The following resources provide information on US hospitals:

MedlinePlus is the NLM Web site for consumer health information. Look at these resources.

Health Facilities has links to news, directories, statistics and more at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthfacilities.html.
Choosing a Doctor or Health Care Service provides suggestions for choosing providers and health facilities at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/choosingadoctororhealthcareservice.html.
The Find a Hospital directory from the American Hospital Association helps you locate a hospital at http://apps.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/directories/index.cfm
Nursing Homes, Assisted Living, and Hospice Care have information on other types of health facilities.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUPnet) allows you to search for data on hospital use, access, charges, quality and outcomes. The information provided is not for specific hospitals, but gives overall statistics for different types of hospitals at http://hcup.ahrq.gov/HCUPnet.asp.

You can find print resources at most local public, hospital and college libraries that provide information on US hospitals and other health care facilities. Ask the librarian for help.

The following resources provide information on international hospitals:

An International Medlars Center may provide information about hospitals in the countries it serves at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/intlmedlars.html
Joint Commission International (JCI) Accredited Organizations is dedicated to improving the quality and safety of health care services.
http://www.jointcommissioninternational.org/23218/iortiz/
International Hospital Federation (IHF) includes hospital associations, government health ministries and other health institutions in more than 100 countries.
http://www.ihf-fih.org/jsp/index.jsp
The Electronic Embassy page gives contact information for embassy offices in Washington, DC. These offices may provide information about hospitals in the countries they represent, and are listed at http://embassy.org/embassies/

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http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/hospital.html

Last reviewed: 25 August 2008
Last updated: 25 August 2008
First published: 01 January 1998
Metadata| Permanence level: Permanence Not Guaranteed