February 26, 2002 | Contact: | HHS Press Office (202) 690-6343 |
Overview: �The Department of Health and Human Services provides one of the
richest and most reliable sources of consumer health information on the World
Wide Web.� HHS documents on the Web
include information on health and social issues, research-related data, and
access to HHS services, including interactive sites.
For health information especially, the HHS sites are a
unique resource.� Consumers and
professionals can find extensive health information, including data produced or
supported by HHS agencies, and links to other information sources.� The best starting point for consumers
looking for health and human services information is the HHS homepage ( www.healthfinder.gov)
is a gateway site to help consumers find health and human services information
quickly. healthfinder� includes more
than 5,700 links to federal, state, local, not-for-profit, university and other
reliable consumer health resources.� The
site includes the comprehensive "Health Library," which highlights prevention,
wellness and other popular topics for quick and easy searches;� "Health News" with updated information;
"Health Care" with information about providers and insurance; and "Just For
You" with specific resources for all phases of life.� In 2001, the site was expanded to include healthfinder� espanol (< www.healthfinder.gov/espanol)
to provide an easy-to-use Spanish-language consumer resource.� A special section, healthfinder�kids, also helps
children learn how to be healthy.
MEDLINEplus ( www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus)
contains reliable health information for consumers and health professionals
from the world�s largest medical library, the National Library of
Medicine.� MEDLINEplus has extensive
information on about 500 diseases and conditions, as well as lists of hospitals
and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and dictionaries, health information in
Spanish and other information of value to consumers.� MEDLINEplus is updated daily.
NIH HEALTH
INFORMATION PAGE ( www.nih.gov/health) provides a single access point to the
consumer health information resources of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), the world�s premiere health research institution.� Resources include a disease and condition
subject index, access to hundreds of NIH consumer health publications and NIH�s
clinical trials database.
MEDICARE.GOV ( www.medicare.gov) provides
useful, accurate, and timely information to assist Medicare beneficiaries and
advocates with health care related decisions.�
A wide variety of tools are available on the site to give people
information about Medicare Health Plans, Medigap Plans, Nursing Homes, Dialysis
Facilities, Participating Physicians, Suppliers, and Prescription Drug
Assistance Programs in their area.� In addition, there is a large library of
helpful publications, information about local events and relevant contact numbers,
including those for state Medicaid programs.�
Several publications and some sections of the Web site are available in
Spanish and Chinese.� Publications can
be ordered directly on the site.� There
is a screen reader version for people with visual impairments.
Some other HHS consumer health information sites of special
interest include:
AGING --
Information about aging services and care is available from the Administration
on Aging ( www.aoa.gov), including an Eldercare locator ( www.eldercare.gov) and an
online guide for family caregivers of frail older persons entitled "Because We
Care."� In addition, the National
Institute on Aging (www.nih.gov/nia) provides
information on specific diseases, treatments and research related to aging.
CANCER -- The National Cancer Institute Web site (cancer.gov/)
provides up-to-date, accurate medical information on cancer. Click on
"cancer information" for in-depth, lay-language information on types
of cancer, treatment, prevention, risk factors, clinical trials, and more.� The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) has a site ( www.cdc.gov/cancer)
with general facts, screening recommendations and/or prevention tips for
colorectal cancer, breast and cervical cancer, prostate cancer and skin
cancer.�� The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) maintains a listing of mammography screening centers ( www.fda.gov/cdrh/mammography/certified.html) that are certified as meeting baseline
quality standards.� The list is searchable
by area or zip code.
STATE CHILDREN'S
HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM ( www.insurekidsnow.gov) -- This site provides information on
how to apply for the State Children�s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).� SCHIP was created as part of the Balanced
Budget Act of 1997 to provide health insurance for children whose families earn
too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to pay for private health
insurance.
CLINICAL TRIALS (www.clinicaltrials.gov) -- The NIH maintains this consumer‑friendly database
with information on more than 5,000 federal and private medical studies
involving patients and others at more than 50,000 locations nationwide.� The site provides patients and families easy
access to information about the location of clinical trials, their design and
purpose, criteria for participation, and, in many cases, further information
about the disease and treatment under study.�
It includes contacts to individuals responsible for recruiting patients
for each study.
DIABETES -- The CDC�s
diabetes site ( www.cdc.gov/diabetes/index.htm)
contains information about the disease, including publications such as "How to
Control Your Diabetes."� The guide, and
other information, is also available in Spanish. The NIH also provides
information on diabetes prevention, treatment and research ( www.niddk.nih.gov/health/diabetes/diabetes.htm).
FOOD SAFETY ( www.foodsafety.gov) -- The Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains this consumer site with information
about how to avoid foodborne illness.�
The site offers advice on how to keep specific foods from spoiling and
includes information geared toward kids, teenagers and educators.�
KIDS� PAGES --
HHS For Kids ( www.hhs.gov/kids) is the starting point for a collection
of Web sites throughout HHS and elsewhere in the federal government designed
especially for children.� Also,
healthfinder� kids ( www.healthfinder.gov/kids) provides a
gateway to reliable health-related information for kids and encourages children
to explore topics such as nutrition, safety, exercise, smoking and
environmental health.� The site also has
games, art contests and other useful information.
MEDICAL DEVICES ( www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/index.shtml) -- This
site offers plain-language overviews of medical devices, from acupuncture
needles to x-ray machines.� A special
section covers recently approved devices.
MENTAL HEALTH -- Information about
mental health and mental illness is available from the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and its clearinghouse for mental
health information ( www.samhsa.gov/).� Information on research is available
from the National Institute of Mental Health ( www.nimh.nih.gov).
MINORITY HEALTH --
The HHS Office of Minority Health ( www.omhrc.gov)
provides a
broad collection of information on minority health issues and initiatives,
including links for minority community organizations, consumers, and health
professionals, and details of the HHS Minority HIV/AIDS initiative.� Information about African-American health
issues is available at the "Closing the Gap" Web site ( www.healthgap.omhrc.gov).
The Administration on Aging ( www.aoa.gov/minorityaccess/) provides information on minority
elders.
ORGAN DONATION ( www.organdonor.gov) -- The Health Resources and Services
Administration�s Organ and Tissue Donor Initiative provides information and
resources on organ donation and transplantation issues.
PHYSICAL FITNESS ( www.fitness.gov) -- The
President�s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports provides resources and
information about physical activity, fitness, exercise, nutrition and health
for all ages.�
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS -- The
FDA provides helpful, plain-language information for a wide variety of recently
approved prescription drugs ( www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo).� The information explains what the drug is
used for, how it should be taken, who should not take it, what to avoid when
taking it, and possible side effects.�
Another FDA Web site (http://www.fda.gov/oc/buyonline)
contains valuable information for consumers who buy prescription drugs or
other medical products online.� The
information is intended to help consumers avoid illegal sites that may sell
unapproved products or sidestep patient protection procedures.� Medicare�s official Web site (www.medicare.gov)
includes the Prescription Drug Assistance Programs database, which
helps beneficiaries find information about programs that offer discounts or
free medication to those in need, as well as information about drug benefits in
Medicare health plans and supplemental Medigap plans in their area.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE --
Information about substance abuse treatment and prevention, including help
locating a treatment facility, is available from SAMHSA and its clearinghouse
for drug and alcohol information (www.samhsa.gov/).� Background
information on research is available from the National Institute on Drug Abuse ( www.nida.nih.gov) and the National Institute on Alcohol
Abuse and Alcoholism ( www.naaa.nih.gov
TOBACCO -- The CDC ( www.cdc.gov/tobacco) also provides tips for how to quit smoking,
as well as videos and posters featuring celebrities discussing smoking
risks.� The site also includes
information about sports-related prevention campaigns, state initiatives and
links to other prevention resources.
TRAVELER�S INFORMATION ( www.cdc.gov/travel) -- CDC
provides international travelers with current information on disease outbreaks
and health issues.� The site includes
information on recommended vaccinations, and links to CDC's Vessel Sanitation
Program for sanitation inspections on international cruise ships.
TREATMENT FINDINGS -- The
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality ( www.ahrq.gov/consumer)
provides information that helps consumers make informed health care decisions,
including: what to do if diagnosed with a serious illness; how to choose
preventive care services; how to quit smoking; and how to reduce the chances of
being the victim of a medical error.�
The site also offers research on what has been found to work best in
treating a number of specific health conditions.� In addition, NIH issues consensus statements ( consensus.nih.gov/) that
provide prevention and treatment recommendations on a wide variety of health
topics.
WOMEN�S HEALTH -- The
National Women�s Health Information Center ( www.4woman.gov) provides links to all federal agencies
and publications on women's health, and to hundreds of government-screened
private sector organizations.� The site
also answers more than 150 Frequently Asked Questions on women�s health
concerns, and features specialty sections on topics such as Women with
Disabilities, Pregnancy, Women and Body Image, Violence and Men�s Health for
Women.� The Girl Power Web site ( www.girlpower.gov/) is part of
the national HHS-sponsored public education campaign to encourage and empower 9-
to 14- year-old girls to make the most of their lives.�
�
Key HHS Agency Web Sites
Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) -- www.hhs.gov
Administration on Aging
(AoA) -- www.aoa.gov
Administration for Children
and Families (ACF) -- www.acf.gov
Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ) -- www.ahrq.gov
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) -- www.cdc.gov
Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) -- cms.hhs.gov/
Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) -- www.fda.gov
Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA) -- www.hrsa.gov
Indian Health Service (IHS)
-- www.ihs.gov
National Institutes of Health
(NIH) -- www.nih.gov
Office of Public Health and
Science (OPHS) -- www.osophs.dhhs.gov/ophs
Office of Inspector General
(OIG) -- www.oig.hhs.gov
Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) -- /www.samhsa.gov
Office of the Surgeon General -- www.surgeongeneral.gov
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news.