http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/spring09/toc.html

If you would like to receive this magazine email whenever a new issue is published (4 times per year), subscribe online at  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/subscribe.html

* Special Section: Colorectal Cancer
* Orthopedic Health
* Headaches and Migraines
* Feature: Hepatitis
* Then & Now: Research Pays Off for All Americans / Darwin, DNA, and The Genome [scb]

http://nihseniorhealth.gov/medicare/toc.html
An easy-to-read overview, “Medicare Basics for Caregivers,” is now available at NIHSeniorHealth. This brief, yet comprehensive introduction to Medicare gives caregivers the basics and helps them find answers to their questions. The complete NIH News Release is available online at: http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/nia-13.htm [scb]

In the newest issue of NIH News in Health learn how eye health is an indicator of your overall health, and discover the numerous health benefits that can occur when you stop smoking. Become a fan of NIH News in Health on Facebook–suggest topics you’d like to see covered, or start a discussion about how you use the newsletter. [da]

Follow this URL for up-to-date information from the Centers for Disease Control about the recent outbreak of Swine Flu. http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

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MedlinePlus Search Cloud: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cloud.html
MedlinePlus en espanol Search Cloud: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/cloud.html

The MedlinePlus search cloud displays the top 100 English searches, and the MedlinePlus en espanol search cloud displays the top 100 Spanish searches. The search clouds are linked from the MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus en espanol homepages. The search clouds are usually updated every week day. The search terms appear in alphabetical order, and their size represents their relative frequency. The bigger the term, the more often it is searched by people who visit MedlinePlus. A term’s exact ranking is found by placing your cursor over the term, and you can click on any term in the search cloud to conduct a search for that term in MedlinePlus. [scb]

A lot of work has been going on updating the MCR web site. Here are just some of the pages that have been reorganized or reviewed to make use of the web site easier.

The Health Information main index page http://nnlm.gov/mcr/resources/ has been redesigned to include information by audience as well as promotional materials. The online tutorial to use in helping novice computer users find and evaluate health information has been updated http://nnlm.gov/mcr/ctc/index.html

The Minority Health index http://nnlm.gov/mcr/resources/community/minority.html and three of the racial ethnic pages have been updated:

• African American Health http://nnlm.gov/mcr/resources/community/ethnic/aahealth.html
• Latino American Health http://nnlm.gov/mcr/resources/community/ethnic/latamer.html
• Native American Health http://nnlm.gov/mcr/resources/community/ethnic/native.html

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Check out the April issue of NIH News in Health, the monthly newsletter bringing you practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research. And consider joining us on Facebook, where you can write on our wall to suggest topics you’d like us to cover, or start a discussion about how you use the newsletter. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/NIH-News-in-Health/45385547967 and become a fan.

In this edition:

• Get Moving and Stay Healthy: Making Physical Activity Part of Your Life
• Remember to Take Your Pills? Jog Your Memory of What To Take and When
• Health Capsules
  Study Questions Prostate Cancer Test
  Vitamin C May Ward Off Gout
  Featured Web Site: Rethinking Drinking

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The United States Department of Health and Human Services unveiled a new site today dedicated to healthcare reform. www.healthreform.gov provides a platform to share documents, thoughts and ideas. [da]

http://www.healthfinder.gov/tutorial/default.asp#librarian
Librarians looking for a credible and easy-to-use health promotion and wellness online resource for their customers should visit Healthfinder.gov. This is a National Health Information Center website full of personalized health information and tools presented in an easy-to-read format with simple navigation. The site has been recognized as a key consumer resource for finding the best government and nonprofit health information on the internet. NHIC has created a tutorial specifically for librarians [American Libraries Direct 3/25/2009] scb

The National Library of Medicine and MedlinePlus have partnered with DSHI Systems to bring FreeMD (www.freemd.com), a symptom checker, to health consumers. A virtual doctor conducts and interview, evaluates symptoms and offers expert advice from the convenience of your computer. The site can analyze over 3,000 symptoms and injuries, providing information on possible symptom causes and determining when and where to seek care. DSHI is a physician-led medical technology company, and the evidence-based content on FreeMD.com is written and maintained by physicians. It is independently funded by virtual and real life emergency room physician, Dr. Stephen Schueler, and is advertising-free.

MedlinePlus links to 150 FreeMD entries, and/or you can link directly to the FreeMD site. [da]