Helpful Websites

General Health Information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov
The CDC, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, deals with preventing and controlling disease, injury and disability and its website ably reflects this mission. One of the best government websites on the Internet, its coverage is broad. Its “Diseases and Conditions” section covers major chronic and many infectious diseases including AIDS, bird flu, common childhood diseases like measles and more exotic diseases like Ebola. Birth defects, traveler’s health, emergency preparedness, vaccine and immunization information, accidents and injury information, infectious diseases and workplace safety and health are all covered. Rich in information and colorfully illustrated, it also provides information in Spanish.

The Cleveland Clinic Health Information Center
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/default.aspx
Produced by the Cleveland Clinic to benefit patients, the general public, and healthcare professionals, this site offers nearly 5,000 articles, videos, podcasts and tools for managing your health. A Health Information Search Specialist can answer questions via a live chat service Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 1:30 pm EST (except holidays).

Hardin M.D.
http://hardinmd.lib.uiowa.edu/
This subject directory of health website links is maintained by the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, University of Iowa. A special focus on medical pictures makes this site unique.

healthfinder
http://www.healthfinder.gov/
Managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, healthfinder.gov provides reliable information culled from approximately 1,400 health-related organizations. Features of note include tools for finding health services and support, National Health Observances toolkits, and information about what is covered under health care reform.

Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/
MayoClinic.com offers a wealth of easy-to-understand health and medical information. In addition to comprehensive disease and condition guides the site includes descriptions of drugs, supplements, tests, and procedures; healthy living guides; a symptom checker; and expert blogs.

MedlinePlus
http://www.medlineplus.gov
The National Library of Medicine, a part of the National Institutes of Health, created and maintains MedlinePlus to assist consumers in locating authoritative health information. The first place to go when seeking information MedlinePlus pages offer carefully selected links to web resources with health information on more than 900 topics. The A.D.A.M. medical encyclopedia includes images, videos, and over 4,000 brief articles. Drug and supplement information, a medical dictionary, patient education interactive tutorials, and links to health information in multiple languages are also provided.

NetWellness
http://www.netwellness.org
NetWellness, a nonprofit consumer health website, provides more than 55,000 pages of high quality information created and evaluated by medical and health professional faculty at the University of Cincinnati, Case Western Reserve University and the Ohio State University. Its “Ask An Expert” feature is a question and answer service provided by numerous health care professionals of the three universities.

Senior Health Information

AgingCare: an Online Community for Caregivers
http://www.agingcare.com/
Online community created for caregivers of elderly parents. Includes information on the most common health problems, financial and legal matters, making choices between different housing options, and more. One can sign up for their newsletter and participate in forums and blogs on caregiving topics.

The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging
http://www.healthinaging.org
The American Geriatrics Society Foundation created this website to provide consumers and caregivers with up-to-date information on health and aging. Overseen by a team of experts on caring for older adults, HealthinAging.org content is based on resources that the American Geriatrics Society has developed for its professional members.

CDC’s Health Aging
http://www.cdc.gov/aging/
This Centers for Disease Control’s website has statistics and research information including the latest State of Aging and Health and State of Mental Health and Aging in America reports, information on the Healthy Brain Initiative and advance care planning and chronic disease management, and links to other articles, reports, and organizations.

The Family Caregiver Alliance
http://www.caregiver.org
Information, services, and support for caregivers and families of persons with chronic, disabling health conditions. It offers fact sheets in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese on conditions such as dementia, Parkinson disease, and stroke. As an advocacy group it also offers statistics, public policy information, and reports. It includes caregiver advice and tips and hosts online discussion groups.

Geriatric Mental Health Foundation
http://www.gmhfonline.org/gmhf/
The Geriatric Mental Health Foundation was established by the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry to raise awareness of psychiatric and mental health disorders affecting the elderly, promote healthy aging strategies, and increase access to quality mental health care for the elderly. The website has patient information for older adults and their families, information on finding a geriatric psychiatrist, and some fact sheets in Spanish.

Healthy Aging
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-aging/MY00374
Reviewed by Mayo Clinic staff this site has very readable articles on aging, conditions that often affect older adults, and healthy living. Articles are authoritative, short and, cover topics such as sex and intimacy and anti-aging therapies that often aren’t found on other sites.

Medicare.gov
http://www.medicare.gov/
The official U.S. government website provides a wealth of information on Medicare health plans, drug coverage, and costs. It also offers tools to find whether a test, item, or service is covered and for finding doctors, providers, hospitals, plans, and suppliers. Online forms are provided for applying to the program, replacing a Medicare card, or changing an address.

MedlinePlus Seniors’ Health
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seniorshealthissues.html
Created by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), this website comprises links to reliable health information throughout the web. It provides access to the latest news, overviews of senior health issues, research, statistics, aging organizations, clinical trials, and more. Links also guide you to pre-formatted article searches on PubMed.

National Institute on Aging
http://www.nia.nih.gov/
NIA leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life and is the primary Federal agency supporting and conducting Alzheimer’s disease research. Information and tips on healthy aging is included. Resources are available in both English and Spanish. Copies also are provided in PDF format where applicable. Print versions are available for online ordering. Health and aging organization database lists more than 350 national organizations that provide help to older people.

Women’s Health Information

HealthyWomen
http://www.healthywomen.org/
HealthyWomen (formerly the National Women’s Health Resource Center) is a nonprofit, national clearinghouse for women’s health information. It develops original health materials and content for women and provides links to related news. Features: Ask the Expert column, womenTALK blogs, discussion groups, free newsletters, videos and podcasts, Facebook, Twitter, and apps.

Mayo Clinic: Women’s Health
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/womens-health/MY00379
Mayo Clinic is “a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research, and education.” The Mayo website has three educational topics focused on women – Women’s Health, Breast Health, and Women’s Life Stages. Basic and in-depth information can be found for each topic including multimedia subject content. Links are provided from these topics to Mayo Expert Answers, resources, and news. Additionally information about women’s health can be found via the general Mayo site via Search, Diseases and Conditions, Symptoms, Drugs and Supplements, Tests and Procedures, and Healthy Lifestyle resources.

MedlinePlus: Women’s Health
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/womenshealth.html
The National Institutes of Health’s MedlinePlus is a free health information resource for the public produced by the National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest medical library. It provides access to information in easily understood language on more than 900 diseases, conditions, and wellness topics from trusted sources such as the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Content includes basic as well as more in-depth coverage of topics, a medical encyclopedia, directories, handouts, statistics, laws and policies, and links to related government organizations. Research overviews and news, including free email subscription to Women’s Health updates, are available along with a link to clinical trials in women’s health that are or will be recruiting. Chinese, Korean, and Spanish versions available.

National Institutes of Health: Women’s Health
http://health.nih.gov/category/WomensHealth
National Institutes of Health (NIH) is “the nation’s medical research agency.” Its Women’s Health webpage provides links to articles, guides, factsheets, and other resources on women’s health as well as related topics, by various institutes within the agency. A search can be done within the Women’s Health category as well as of all NIH health topics. NIH Health Topics A-Z browsing feature is also available.

Our Bodies, Ourselves
www.ourbodiesourselves.org/
Our Bodies Ourselves (OBOS) (aka Boston Women’s Health Book Collective) has been providing information on women’s reproductive and sexual health plus issues that affect access and care since their first publication of the revolutionary Our Bodies, Ourselves in 1971. The website contains information about women’s health topics, including excerpts from the latest edition of Our Bodies, Ourselves, OBOS programs, publications, and news. You can also keep up with OBOS through free newsletter, blog, RSS feed, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Society for Women’s Health Research
http://www.womenshealthresearch.org/
The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) was founded in 1990 by a group of physicians, medical researchers, and health advocates. SWHR aims to bring attention to the myriad of diseases and conditions that affect women uniquely. Find links to information about various health topics informed by sex-based biology, research news related to women, clinical trials and how to join them, milestones in the inclusion of women in research, public education campaigns advocacy efforts and opportunities, grants and awards (including the SWHR Medtronic Prize), and Society news, videos, and events (e.g., roundtables, conferences, moderated discussions, and other meetings). Find on Facebook and Twitter.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health: womenshealth.gov
http://womenshealth.gov/
Womenshealth.gov is a project of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health. Its mission is “to provide leadership to promote health equity for women and girls through sex/gender-specific approaches” through national health policy, programs, education, and dissemination of health information for both professionals and the public. Information on health topics (including girl’s health and minority women’s health), publications, news (headlines, highlights, spotlight), and health data can be found at womenshealth.gov. Offers email updates, RSS feed, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration: For Consumers – For Women
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/byAudience/ForWomen/default.htm
As many medications may affect women differently than men, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) website For Women is an important source of information and advocacy. The FDA Office of Women’s Health (OWH) ensures that drug research includes women in the trials as per federal regulation, compiles and analyzes data, creates fact sheets, and performs outreach activities. This website provides information on several women’s health topics, medication safety tips for women, free publications, and news (news releases, hot topics, spotlight, and OWH news). It also delivers news via email updates, Twitter, and Women’s Health videos on FDA YouTube channel. Links to the FDA’s general Consumer topic page where consumer resources useful to women is disseminated – e.g., FDA’s MedWatch Safety Alerts Adverse Reporting Program (important as women have more adverse drug reactions than men), Drugs@FDA drug information database, For Consumers: Drugs searchable updates tool, Recalls & Alerts, clinical drug trials in which women can participate.

Men’s Health Information

AHRQ Men Stay Healthy at Any Age
http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/healthymen.htm
Men Stay Healthy at Any Age, from the Agency on Health Research and Quality, provides a checklist to help men maintain their health. Men are encouraged to obtain appropriate screening tests, take needed preventive medicine and to practice healthy behaviors, all explained more fully on the site. The information comes from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

CDC Men’s Health
http://www.cdc.gov/men/
From the Centers for Disease Control, a website dedicated to men’s health issues. This site offers a broad range of information aimed at both consumers and health professionals. There are links to hundreds of articles on topics ranging from alcohol to obesity to reproductive health and workplace safety. Healthy living tips, leading causes of death and health statistics are included. Articles written for easy reading are identified.

MayoClinic.com-Men’s Health Center
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mens-health/MC99999
The Mayo Clinic offers general health information for men, including preventive care. It also has interactive tools and answers to FAQs from Mayo Clinic specialists.

MedlinePlus- Men’s Health Topics
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/menshealth.html
The National Library of Medicine offers information on a variety of men’s health topics including circumcision, fertility, prostate disease, and testicular cancer. The site is available in Spanish and offers links to PubMed searches on men’s health information.

Urology Care Foundation (American Urological Association)
http://www.urologyhealth.org/patientinfo/
This site provides information on a wide variety of urological conditions affecting men. It also has information about female and pediatric urological disorders.

Patient Portal