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 does not recommend or evaluate health care facilities. To find suggestions about how to compare facilities, go to the Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC)Web site at http://www.consumeraction.gov/caw_health_choosing_facility.shtml on choosing a Health Care Facility.

Information about US hospitals:

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

To find hospitals and health facilities in your local area, visit MedlinePlus GoLocal at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/golocal/index.html
Visit the MedlinePlus Directories page for other listings of hospitals and healthcare facilities.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/directories.html
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
Nursing Homes (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/nursinghomes.html), Assisted Living (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/assistedliving.html), and Hospice Care (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hospicecare.html) 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

To compare hospitals, use Hospital Compare, at http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/

Information about 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
http://www.jointcommissioninternational.org/
The Electronic Embassy page, at http://embassy.org/embassies/, gives contact information for embassy offices in Washington, DC. These offices may provide information about hospitals in the countries they represent.

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

Last reviewed: 04 May 2009
Last updated: 04 May 2009
First published: 01 January 1998
Metadata| Permanence level: Permanence Not Guaranteed