Government Sites
MedlinePlus – Information on over 950 Health Topics from the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, and other government agencies and health organizations. Includes an extensive section on Drugs and Supplements. Also includes interactive tutorials and videos on anatomy and various surgical procedures in the Videos & Cool Tools section. Click here for health information in other languages.
CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – Division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, list of diseases and Health Topics from A to Z. It helps you quickly find and retrieve specific information. Synonyms, acronyms, and cross-referencing provide multiple ways to access the topics and features.
FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) – Information on food and drug safety and recalls, nutrition, and dietary supplements. Information on vaccines, blood, biologics, cosmetics, medical devices, and tobacco products. Includes veterinary section for pet health. Also includes an A–Z.
Healthfinder.gov (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) – Health news, personal health tools (myhealthfinder), Health Topics A to Z on over 1,600 health topics, services, and information such as how to locate a doctor, health center, organization, or public library, and information in Spanish/Español.
NIH (National Institutes of Health) – Information about NIH-funded medical research. Health information for hundreds of diseases and conditions as well as important information about Talking to Your Doctor. Provides links to 27 NIH institutes and centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems.
PubMed – Resource from the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the National Library of Medicine that provides more than 25 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites, some of which are fee-based. Information on this website is written on a clinical level.
TOXNET (Toxicology Data Network) – A division of the National Library of Medicine, includes information on hazardous and household chemicals, diseases and the environment, environmental health, occupational safety and health, poisoning, and toxic releases.
For advice if someone is poisoned, call your local Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222.
USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) – Government dietary guidelines for Americans and MyPlate food guidance system. MiPlato sistema de orientación alimenticia en Español. Food safety recall information.
Affordable Care Act / Health Insurance Marketplace
Sign up for insurance plans offered by private companies under the Health Insurance Marketplace. The Marketplace is run by your state or the federal government. For residents of California, the Marketplace is run by the state.
Healthcare.gov to learn about the new Health Insurance Marketplace.
CoveredCA to learn about available plans as a resident of the State of California.
More Health Information Sites for Consumers
Cleveland Clinic Health Information Center – Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. This site offers free access to thousands of health articles, videos, and health management tools. Click here to access Healthy Living, Diseases and Conditions, and Treatments and Procedures.
DukeHealth.org – Online health library that is part of the Duke University School of Medicine, located in Durham, North Carolina. It includes a topic center for specific conditions, care guides, health articles, videos, as well as information on children’s health.
FamilyDoctor.org – Health information for the whole family from the American Academy of Family Physicians. All information on the site has been written and reviewed by physicians and patient education professionals at the AAFP. Includes an easy-access Diseases & Conditions as well as information specific to kids and seniors. Enfermedades y Affeciones en Español.
JAMA Patient Education Page (Journal of the American Medical Association) – Over 700 one-page overviews of health topics from 1998 forward, with most recent content listed first. In the search box, type in condition or disease and select “Patient” in the Article Type box to the left.
Lab Tests Online – A public resource on clinical lab testing from the American Association for Clinical Chemistry and a collaboration of professional societies representing the laboratory community. Designed to help the patient or family caregiver to better understand the many clinical lab tests that are part of routine care as well as for diagnosis and treatment of a broad range of conditions and diseases.
Mayo Clinic – The largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. This site provides excellent information on Diseases and Conditions, Symptoms, Drugs and Supplements, Tests and Procedures, First Aid, and Healthy Living.
MerckEngage.com – Multi-faceted health resource owned and operated by pharmaceutical company Merck and Co. Information includes Condition Library, Health Planning, and Caregiving.
Merck Manual Home Health Handbook for Patients and Caregivers – Explains disorders, who is likely to get them, their symptoms, how they are diagnosed, how they might be prevented, and how they can be treated. Also provides information about prognosis.
Stanford Health Library – Sponsored by Stanford Hospital & Clinics, the Stanford Health Library provides scientifically-based medical information, including Health Conditions, Diagnosis, and Treatment. The Stanford Health Video Library programs feature doctors and health practitioners presenting the latest health research. Formats include iTunes (MP3), YouTube, and DVDs. Stanford University also maintains a large collection of EBSCO e-books and Gale e-books.
Clinical Trials
A clinical trial is a research study in human volunteers to test how well new medical approaches work in people. Each study answers scientific questions and tries to find better ways to prevent, screen for, diagnose, or treat a disease. Trials are sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, other federal agencies, and private industry for a wide range of diseases and conditions.
MedlinePlus: Clinical Trials – Basic information about clinical trials and extensive links to further explanations, websites, and other resources.
ClinicalTrials.gov – A registry and results database of federally- and privately-supported clinical trials conducted in the United States and around the world. This site provides patients and the public with free access to information on clinical studies for a wide range of diseases and conditions. It contains information about a trial’s purpose, who may participate, locations, and phone numbers for more details.
National Institutes of Health: Clinical Trials and You – Includes sections on the basics, finding a clinical trial, a list of registries, educational resources, and a glossary of common terms.
Alzheimer’s Association TrialMatch™ – This free service provides information on clinical trials and makes it easy for people with Alzheimer’s, caregivers, families, healthy volunteers, and physicians to locate clinical trials based on personal criteria.
Food and Drug Administration: Participating in Clinical Trials – Basic and in-depth information about clinical trials including information on informed consent and protection of human subjects.
National Cancer Institute: Clinical Trials – Search for clinical trials accepting participants, browse results of recent clinical trials, and find information about noteworthy clinical trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. Answers to common questions about clinical trials in the Learn About Clinical Trials section.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: Clinical Trials – Information on research studies on diseases of the heart and blood vessels, lungs, blood cells and bone marrow, and cholesterol. Includes information to help you decide whether to volunteer to participate in a trial.
