Health Information on the Web
The National Library of Medicine hosts a variety of web resources aimed at consumers. Because they are created by the National Library of Medicine, you can count on them to be authoritative, up-to-date and commercial-free. Listed below are selected resources from the National Library of Medicine that we recommend.
MedlinePlus is the best starting place when looking for health information.
It includes information on over 700 health topics including conditions, procedures, and wellness. It also has
information about prescription and over-the-counter drugs as well as herbal supplements. Need color illustrations?
Try the medical encyclopedia. Much of the site is also available in Spanish.
NIHSeniorHealth is a site especially for seniors and their caregivers.
It includes resources about health issues commonly encountered by seniors. The National Library of Medicine and the
National Institute on Aging worked together to build in features to the site such as text enlargement, high contrast,
and speech.
Genetics Home Reference is the National Library of Medicine's web site for
consumer information about genetic conditions and the genes or chromosomes responsible for those conditions. The
main health topics in MedlinePlus® that have a genetic component are selected for inclusion in Genetics Home Reference.
Genetics Home Reference is developed by a staff that includes board-certified medical geneticists, biologists, and
computer and information scientists. The content is reviewed regularly to ensure that it is accurate and up-to-date.
ClinicalTrials.gov provides regularly updated information about
federally and privately supported clinical research in human volunteers. ClinicalTrials.gov gives you information
about a trial's purpose, who may participate, locations, and phone numbers for more details. The information provided
on ClinicalTrials.gov should be used in conjunction with advice from health care professionals.
ToxTown is an interactive site that provides introduction to toxic
chemicals and environmental health risks you might encounter in everyday life, in everyday places. You can explore
Tox Town by selecting Neighborhoods, Location links or Chemical links. Chemicals are described in non-technical
language supplemented with Internet links about a chemical and its possible impact on human health. Information
on chemical and environmental concerns is from the TOXNET and MedlinePlus resources of the National Library of
Medicine (NLM), as well as other authoritative sources.
Household Products Database: What's under your kitchen sink,
in your garage, in your bathroom, and on the shelves in your laundry room? Learn more about what's in these products,
about potential health effects, and about safety and handling. Information in the Household Products Database is
taken from a variety of publicly available sources, including brand-specific labels and Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDS) prepared by manufacturers.
For a complete list of resources (both for consumers and health professionals), please visit the National Library of Medicine's page at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/
Other Web Resources
Best Health Favorites For Your Computer: Links to quality health information from other health agencies such as the American Academy of Family Physicians, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute.
Tribalconnections.org: American Indian/Alaska Native community health and information resource portal. Content includes columns from Native American health specialists that combine western and Indian approaches to healing and healthy living and that focus on nutrition and diet.
MedlinePlus Guide to Healthy Web Surfing: What should you look for when evaluating the quality of health information on Web sites? Here are some suggestions.
Is This Health Information Good For Me?: Help in deciding what is the most relevant and authoritative medical or health information.
