IMPORTANT NOTICE
No direct recommendation or sponsorship by CAPHIS or MLA of these listed web resources is implied. The resources referenced here are intended to provide general information for you. Some resources will contain information that is the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of your physician. Please consult your healthcare provider for individual information on your specific condition.
Aetna Intelihealth
Aetna InteliHealth, a subsidiary of Aetna, partners with Harvard Medical School and Columbia
University College of Dental Medicine to provide health information on this website. It’s important to note that Aetna InteliHealth’s editorial policy states that it maintains absolute editorial independence from Aetna. That said, the site is content rich on disease and treatment information and includes nice additional features such as its Interactive Health Tools, Ask the Expert, Personalized Health E-mail service, and Discussion Boards.
The Cleveland Clinic Health Information Center
Produced by the Cleveland Clinic Department of Patient Education and Health Information, this site offers information on over 900 health topics. Podcasts and webcasts of health information are available along with transcripts of web chats with physicians answering health questions. The Cleveland Clinic Patient Education and Health Information provides a live chat service Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 1:30 pm EST (except holidays) where health educators are available to provide general health information and recommendations of web sites.
This web site is offers clear and concise patient hand-outs for common medical concerns and conditions. All information has been written and reviewed by physicians and patient education professionals at the American Academy of Family Physicians. “Conditions A-Z”, make finding a hand-out easy. Handy buttons translates the site into Spanish and increases the type size. Other helpful features are a medical dictionary, health calculators, the Healthy Living Guides, a Smart Patient Guide, Health Tools section and a Health Tip of the Day.
This subject directory of health web site links is maintained by the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, University of Iowa. A special focus on medical pictures makes this site unique.
Developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, healthfinder links to carefully selected information and Web sites from over 1,500 health-related organizations. There’s a wonderful children’s interface with age-appropriate health information and much of the web site’s information is available in Spanish. Their Drug Interaction Checker, Online Checkups, and health newsletters in Spanish and English provide useful additional features.
MayoClinic.com offers a wealth of easy-to-understand health and medical information. In addition to diseases and conditions, the site has a number of healthy living guides and helpful resources such as Health Tools, Treatment Decision Guides, blogs and pod casts, and Ask a Specialist feature. Mayo Clinic experts review web site content for accuracy.
MedlinePlus offers over 18,000 links to accurate and current medical information on the Internet that has been evaluated by the National Library of Medicine. It includes drug information, an illustrated medical dictionary, the latest health news, directories of doctors, dentists and hospitals, surgery videos, and interactive health tutorials. Brief information is available in the Medical Encyclopedia with more in depth information on over 750 Health Topics. A handy toggle feature translates the site into Spanish with links to Spanish-language information on the Internet. The GoLocal initiative adds links to local resources in over 18 states with hospital information available in the other states. The first website any health consumer should visit on the Internet.
Feminist.com Health and Sexuality Links
This is a directory of Web sites covering breast cancer, sexuality, reproductive rights, and general women’s health created by Feminist.com, a grassroots organization. It includes directories of midwives, birthing centers, and abortion clinics.
Hormone Foundation: Women’s Health
Developed by the Endocrine Society, the purpose of Hormone.org is to provide information to consumers on hormone-related health issues. Information is available on various prevention, treatment and cure of hormone-related conditions. Additional resources include, Find-an-Endocrinologist, information about new hormone related clinical trials, and Spanish translation of many of the informational resources.
The American Urogynecologic Society developed MyPelvicHealth to provide information to consumers on issues related to incontinence and pelvic floor disorders. My Pelvic Health offers information, treatment options, tools, and additional resources for women who are experiencing either urinary or fecal incontinence, or a pelvic floor disorder.
National Women’s Health Resource Center
The National Women’s Health Resource Center is a non-profit, national clearinghouse for women’s health information. It develops original health materials and content for women and provides links to related news, educational opportunities, and national organizations. It also has information about books and contacts for local health departments.
North American Menopause Society
The North American Menopause Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to research and promoting women’s health as they age. They study menopause and its health effects. The site has information for health care providers and consumers, including referral lists, educational materials, research, and participation in research studies.
Our Bodies Ourselves
The Boston Women’s Health Book Collective has created a companion Web site for their classic book, Our Bodies, Ourselves. It provides both clinical and psychosocial information about women’s health issues and offers resources in both English and Spanish. The site has current health news and Web links.
American Academy of Family Physicians-Men’s Health
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers information about a wide range of topics of interest to men including STDs, prostate health, reproductive issues, and fatherhood. Information is available in English and Spanish.
AHRQ Men Stay Healthy at Any Age
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 on the site comes from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
This bilingual site from the New York Academy of Medicine and the New York Public Library includes basic health information for men as well as information on fertility, impotence, prostate health, safer sex, and gay men’s health.
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
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
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 Health (American Urological Association)
This site provides information on a wide variety of urological conditions affecting men. It also has information about female and pediatric urological disorders.
Text 4 Baby
http://text4baby.org/index.php/sign-up or visit www.text4baby.org for more details.
For Mom and Mom 2 Be! This message alert system sends valuable health-related information to mothers and expecting mothers via free text messages. Many are already using this system to receive free texts regarding the availability of free and low-cost health insurance through Medicaid and CHIP. The text message refers the user to the Insure Kids Now phone number or website: www.insurekidsnow.gov.
American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics provides information about health topics, diseases and conditions, child development, and child safety.
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry – Resources for Families
(click on Resources for Families)
Between 7 and 12 million American youth suffer from mental, behavioral, or developmental disorders at any given time. Families dealing with these issues will find an abundance of information here. Links take users to information on helping children cope with disasters, deal with pop culture, treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and understand psychiatric medications. A glossary of symptoms and mental illnesses, and information about finding psychiatrists and appropriate clinical trials are very useful, too.
The Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health provides current information about child development, nutrition and fitness, preventive health care, and diseases and conditions. Information is available in English and Spanish. There are sites for parents, children, and teens.
National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD)
The NICHD, a division of the National Institutes of Health, conducts research on the health of children and their families. The Web site presents information based on that research. It covers a wide range of topics. There are links to consumer-level information on more than 100 health topics as well as valuable information about participation in clinical research and NICHD public health campaigns.
This is a site from the National Library of Medicine created for teens. Using the MedlinePlus format, it has links to reliable sites offering information on nutrition, emotions, body image, alcohol, drugs, sexuality, and other topics of interest to teens.
This is a digital health sciences collection devoted to pediatrics created by physicians at the University of Iowa. It provides information to meet the needs of health care providers and patients, including textbooks, web sites, and anatomy atlases.
With Special sections for Conditions & Disease, Long-Term Care, Healthy Living, Doctors & Hospitals and Insurance, the AARP websites offers all one finds in the magazine and more.
Administration on Aging Elders & Families
The Department of Health and Human Services/Administration on Aging website is designed to assist older people and their families or caregivers to quickly obtain information on a variety of aging-related topics and government-sponsored programs. There is excellent information on finding various elder care programs locations, elder rights & resources, promoting a health lifestyle, national and state benefits and services for seniors, long-term care insurance, and caregiver support programs.
AgingCare: An Online Community for Caregivers
Created for caregivers of parents, and other older adults. It not only provides information on the most common health related issues, but financial, making choices between the different housing options, and more. You can sign up for their newsletter and participate in forums and blogs on various caregiving topics. You can find information by either clicking on that subject or use the Search box at the top to find specific information on a topic.
The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging
The American Geriatrics Society Foundation website offers information on the health and care of older adults. There are four sub pages: Aging in the Know offers up-to-date information on how the aging process affects health; Eldercare at Home offers the complete text of the second edition of this resource for families and friends who are caring for older people at home; The FHA Physician Referral Guide offers to mail a list of physicians sensitive to the special healthcare needs of older adults and links to search for board certified geriatricians; and Health in Aging Stories where patients and health care providers can share their stories on the challenge of finding and providing health care for the elderly. The site also provides a directory of guide to federal government agencies and national not-for-profit organizations that address the special health care needs of older adults.
This Centers for Disease Control website has statistics and research information, a copy of the latest State of Aging and Health in America report, information on the Healthy Brain Initiative, lists of organizations, information on end of life issues, lists of organizations, and links to other articles and reports. Information on joining the Public Health and Aging listserv is provided.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
This is the official U.S. government site for people with Medicare. It contains information on Medicare health plans, the Medicare drug benefit, Medigap insurance plans, links to state information, long term care information, full text of pamphlets, online forms to request a replacement Medicare card, to change an address or to determine eligibility.
Information, services and support for caregivers and families of persons with chronic, disabling health conditions. It offers fact sheets in English, Spanish and Chinese on various conditions like dementia, Parkinson Disease and stroke. As an advocacy group it also offers statistics, public policy information, and reports. It includes caregiver advice and tips (also in Spanish and Chinese) and hosts online discussion groups.
FirstGov for Senior Citizens’ Resources
Extensive links to government agencies and other organizations that provide services and programs for seniors. There are links to consumer protection resources for seniors, money and taxes, end-of-life issues, health and housing for seniors. Information is gathered by need rather than the government agencies that provide the service. Hospice care, nursing home comparison, and even how to request a birthday greeting from the President for persons over 80 are covered.
Geriatric Mental Health Foundation
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, eliminate the stigma of mental illness and treatment, promote healthy aging strategies, and increase access to quality mental health care for the elderly. Their website has mental health information for older adults and their families, information on finding a geriatric psychiatrist, and some fact sheets in Spanish.
Mayo Clinic Senior Health Center
Reviewed by Mayo clinic medical editorial 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 like sex and intimacy and anti-aging therapies that often aren’t found on other sites. Registration allows personalization of the website and interactive health management tools but isn’t required for access.
MedlinePlus Seniors’ Health Issues
Created by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), this website contains links to trustworthy information throughout the web. It contains links to the latest news, overviews of senior health issues, research, statistics, aging organizations, clinical trials, and much more. Links guide you to pre-formatted searches on PubMed and to services and providers in your local area through the Go Local project. This page is also available in Spanish.
NIH SeniorHealth makes aging-related health information easily accessible for family members and friends seeking reliable, easy to understand online health information. A unique feature is that the website has a spoken language feature and also
allows increases in contrast as well as size of type for easier viewing. Well-illustrated and readable, it includes some short videos and links out to MedlinePlus for additional information.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Sharing ideas, tips, resources and recipes to help you feed your family for less.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
The world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. Formerly the American Dietetic Association.
If you struggle to get your family to eat healthy meals without complaint, this is the website for you. Here you’ll find fun recipes kids love, tips to get picky eaters to try new foods, lunch, snack and dessert ideas, and practical advice on bringing good nutrition to the dinner table. Let’s get cooking!
ChooseMyPlate.gov is a quick, simple reminder to help people think about food choice to lead healthier lifestyles.
Do you ever feel like you can’t keep up with the changes in technology? Sometimes it seems that way with dietary advice, as if things were always changing. While it’s true that the fields of diet and nutrition are areas of evolving research, there are some basic concepts you can keep in mind. By knowing these basics, you will be better equipped to sort through nutrition research and dietary advice.
Nutrition Education Needs and Designs
ne/Frames are free nutrition education programs on a variety of topics designed for individuals to view as they wait for services or appointments.
Nourish Interactive is your free one stop resource for fun nutrition games for kids, interactive nutrition tools and tips for parents and health educators to use to promote healthy living for the whole family. Created by nutrition and health care professionals, Nourish Interactive’s nutrition education website gives children and families the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy choices.
KidsEatRight.com is your source for scientifically-based health and nutrition information you can trust to help your child grow healthy. As a parent or caretaker you need reliable resources and you can find them here, backed by the expertise of nutrition professionals.
Information for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, caregivers and health professionals make this the comprehensive resource on Alzheimer’s Disease. Fact sheets, information on diagnosis and management, planning ahead, a glossary and information in Spanish, Korean and Chinese are also useful. Message boards and chat rooms provide support and additional information sharing.
American Academy of Dermatology-Public Resource Center
On this site, “Dermatology A-Z” gives extensive information and full text of AAD pamphlets on most common skin and nail conditions from acne and aging skin to tanning and tattoos. Also included are pamphlets and information in Spanish, a directory of dermatologists, and Kids Connection section with information for children on skin conditions.
American Dental Association-Public
This site includes extensive information on oral health, cosmetic dentistry, restorative procedures, even games and animations for children and classroom resources for teachers. A glossary of dental terms, a directory of dentists and a section in Spanish add useful information.
Extensive interactive tools add value and interest to this lively website. Diabetes assessment tools, recipes, weight-loss and exercise advice, latest diabetes research and a professional section add additional information. Information about ADA books, a message board, an email newsletter and information in Spanish are also included.
Extensive information on heart disease and stroke, children’s health, healthy lifestyle, care giving, a heart and stroke encyclopedia and information in Spanish make this the premier source for information on these conditions. There is also a link to the website of American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, which shares some of the same information on its website at www.strokeassociation.org. Local area events and local chapters are covered and some scientific and professional materials are also available.
This is an excellent site with information on lung diseases, tobacco control, and air quality. Attractive and easy to use, it has special sections on asthma, allergy, treatment, how the lung functions and “Diseases A-Z” on lung disorders. There is a search by zip code for local chapter information, sign-up for a free email newsletter, and some information on current research efforts. A sub-section is available in Spanish.
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
Information, advocacy, research, information on local chapters and support groups and “Ask the Allergist” email feature make this an extremely useful website. Also included are a pollen count by zip code feature, and information on clinical trials and new treatments. Some of their patient brochures can be downloaded as well as ordered via the mail (with a few of them in Spanish).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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.
Mayo Clinic — Disease and Conditions A-Z
Each topic has sections on the signs and symptoms, causes, risk factors, screening and diagnosis, complications, treatment, and when to seek medical advice. You can sign up for a weekly email newsletter, an RSS feed and a personalized page with automatically updated content. A symptom checker and first aid guide are also included in this section.
Extensive information on types of cancer, treatments, coping with cancer, a dictionary of cancer terms, the NCI drug dictionary, cancer statistics, clinical trials, cancer prevention, genetics, and full text of NCI fact sheets form this important website. There is a link to PDQ (Physicians Data Query), which is NCI’s comprehensive databases of cancer information and treatment for physicians. A telephone help line, live online chat service and email help support the extensive information found here. Information is also available in Spanish.
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
The NDDIC site has an A to Z list of digestive disease topics and titles illustrated with drawings, statistics, list of clinical trials, links to patient organizations, and government agencies and resources. Special sections of easy-to-read information and information is Spanish are included.
National Eye Institute Health Information
A diagram of the eye, glossary of eye-related terms, fact sheets and some videos on eye diseases and condition and eye organization database make this site especially useful. Tips on finding an eye care professional and on financial aid for eye care, as well as information in Spanish, add to this site’s value.
National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute
The NHLBI site provides extensive information on conditions that affect the heart, blood vessels, lungs and blood, as well as sleep disorders. Health assessment tools, educational tutorials and recipes provide useful additional information. Full text color versions of data fact sheets are also available. Information for healthcare professionals is included.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Health and Human Development information made available with an easy A to Z list, along with clinical trials and health education campaign information. Topic pages provide links to clinical trials, news releases, publications and related websites. Also available is information on research being conducted at and supported by NICHD.
Information and tips on healthy aging, care giving, medications, dietary supplements and diseases are 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 300 national organizations that provide help to older people. A drop-down menu provides subject areas to search for information on how to contact these organizations.
National Institute on Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
An alphabetical index in English and Spanish for easy to find fact sheets on specific conditions and disorders is available. Publication and revision dates are included to ensure up to date information. Links to clinical trials and journal articles are also available.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Mental Health Topics
This site provides information about the signs and symptoms, treatment and resources available for mental illnesses. Full text of booklets and pamphlets on mental illness can be downloaded or printed. The latest news on mental illness, help in locating services, a link to clinical trials and pre-formatted Medline searches for the latest information add to the usefulness of this site. While the site isn’t in Spanish, many of the booklets and pamphlets are available in Spanish and a link to Information on MedlinePlus in Spanish is provided.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Extensive information on neurological disorders is provided at this website. The Disorders Index provides an alphabetic list of hundreds of neurological conditions, their treatments, prognosis, clinical research and contact information for organizations concerned with the condition. Clicking on the link to research literature under each condition leads you to a PubMed search on the condition. An accessible version of the web page is also provided. A news feed, list of patient resources and organizations and Spanish versions of some fact sheets on disorders can also be found at the NINDS website.
This site provides excellent information on the symptoms of stoke, risk factors, prevention and recovery. Information specifically for women, for men, for African Americans, and caregivers and families as well as medical and EMS professionals is provided. Full text of the consumer publication Stroke Smart and other pamphlets are available. Some fact sheets are available in English, French and Spanish.
Your Orthopaedic Connection (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
Colorfully illustrated patient information is presented by body site and by category. Information on injury prevention,
osteoarthritis, sports and exercise, joint replacement and tumors are covered thoroughly. Extensive Spanish language factsheets are provided as well as some information in Japanese, Portuguese, and Thai. A directory of orthopaedic specialists by name, city, zip code and country is provided.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides fact sheets about HIV drugs describing their use, pharmacology, side effects, and other relevant information. The sheets are available in English and Spanish as well as in professional and consumer versions.
DailyMed-Current Medical Information
DailyMed provides reliable information about marketed drugs. It offers the FDA-approved labels (package inserts) as well as the chemical formulas, composition, and physical description of the drug.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The Food and Drug Administration oversees the regulation of pharmaceutical and food products as well as medical devices. The site has both professional and consumer information on topics such as specific drugs, taking medications safely, buying generic drugs, and saving money on prescriptions. It also includes a guide to buying drugs safely online, information about recalls and product safety, and drug-drug, and drug-food interactions.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Herbs, Botanicals, and Other Products
This resource provides an index to evidence-based information about herbs, botanicals, supplements, and other medicines. It is easy to search. The information is at the professional level from articles in clinical medical journals.
The NLM Drug Portal offers a comprehensive database of prescription and non-prescription drugs, including vitamins and supplements. Users may search by generic or brand name and obtain information from the NLM databases, the FDA, the DEA, and other government sources.
This is a clearinghouse for information about the various assistance programs available from pharmaceutical manufacturers for patients who cannot afford medications. It also has information about government assistance programs and coupons.
This site for consumers from the PDR includes information about prescription and nonprescription drugs, herbal medicines, and supplements. It also has information about diseases and conditions, surgery, treatment options, and clinical trials.
RxList-The Internet Drug Index
This site has information about prescription and non-prescription drugs, herbs, and supplements, searchable by generic and brand name. It also has a useful pill identifier tool, information and slide shows about diseases and health topics, and a medical dictionary.
This is a comprehensive Web database directory of medical doctors (MDs) and osteopaths (DOs) practicing in the United States. Search by physician name or specialty. Information provided includes basic professional data (medical school, year of graduation, board certification, telephone number, address) for both AMA members and non-members.
CenterWatch Clinical Trials Listing Service
CenterWatch Clinical Trials Listing Service contains trials for many types of diseases. It is searchable by disease categories and geographic area. All of the trials listed are open (enrolling new patients).
The U.S. National Institutes of Health,through its National Library of Medicine, has developed ClinicalTrials.gov to provide patients, family members and members of the public current information about clinical research studies. Before searching, you may want to learn more about clinical trials and more about this Web site. Check often for regular updates to ClinicalTrials.gov. ClinicalTrials.gov provides easy access to information about the location of clinical trials, their design and purpose, criteria for participation and additional disease and treatment information. Check often for regular updates to ClinicalTrials.gov.
This site provides health, medical, lifestyle and wellness information for all ages. In addition, there is information to prepare consumers for medical emergencies, injuries, minor medical conditions and basic first aid. There are more than 5,500 pages of content written by physicians for the general public.
This site provides consumer-friendly information about the effects of genetic variations on human health. Genetic disorders
and related genes and chromosomes, along with information on concepts and tools to increase understanding are included.
Learn more about what’s under your kitchen sink, in your garage, in your bathroom, and on the shelves in your laundry room. Information about these products, their potential health effects, and safety and handling is included.
Consumer Information: Quackwatch is a nonprofit company formed by Dr. Stephen Barrett to expose health-related “frauds, myths, fads and fallacies”. Well-researched, up-to-date, authoritative information on a wide range of practices and medical advertising deemed questionable or obvious “quackery.” English, Spanish, German, French, and Portuguese language versions are available.
Beginning January 1, 2022, you have the right to request a "Good Faith Estimate" (GFE) explaining how much your appointment may cost.
- Under the law, those who don't have insurance or need financial assistance paying their bill have the right to request a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any items or services associated to your visit at our health center.
- Upon request, a Good Faith Estimate can be provided to you in writing at least one business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.
- If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
- Make sure you save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
Disclaimers:
- GFE is an estimate and subject to change.
- Patient's right to initiate dispute through resolution process.
- GFE is not a contract.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises