Health Information Online

There is much health and medical information available on the Interent. When doing research on health issues, it is important to check the origin of the information and the credentials of the web site and those supplying it. You should look for:

Bias/Objectivity:

• Is the information showing just one point of view?
• What kind of institution sponsors the webpage?
• Is advertising clearly marked?
• Can you tell if what you are reading is an advertisement?
• Are there sources given for additional information?

Currency/Timleliness

• Is there a date on the page?
• When was the page last undated?
• Do the links work?

Accuracy/Authority

• Is the information based on sound medical research? Can the information given be verified by another source?
• Who published the page? Is it a known organization? What are the credentials of the author? Can you easily find contact information on the page?

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This list of internet links comes from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine and the Danbury Hospital Horblit Health Sciences Library.

 

MedlinePlus - trusted health information for you

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - online source for health information

Familydoctor.org - American Academy of Family Physicians, health information for the whole family

National Cancer Institute- US National Institutes of Health

Caring for the Mind- providing mental health information at your library

Librarian's Best Web Picks - Health and Nutrition source for online information, the Librarian Best Web Picks portion of the Westchester Library System's home page. This extensive list of internet sites was selected by a committee of librarians with specialized training.

Health Reference Center Academic - Multi-source database providing access to full-text of nursing and allied health journals, plus a wide variety of personal health information sources

New York State Hospital Profile - Use this  to find information about hospitals in NY.

American Academy of Family Practioners - an excellent source to search for doctors.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - from the NIH

Alternative Medicine Foundation - a nonprofit organization.

Mayo Clinic -More than 3,300 physicians, scientists and researchers from Mayo Clinic   share their expertise to empower you to manage your health.

Kidshealth - from the Alfred I. du Pont Hospital for Children

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More Information from the Westchester Library System

Interactive Online Health Videos

WLS now provides residents access to more than 200 interactive educational videos with basic health information. Some videos explain specific illnesses or conditions,while others describe medical tests and procedures. These videos are published by the Patient Education Institute, and are designed for all patients and consumers regardless of their educational level, ability, or familiarity with computers. These videos are also available in Spanish.

Gale - Cengage Learning Health & Wellness Resource Center

This database is provided by New York State through the NOVEL program. It contains a vast array of full text magazine articles and reference sources. To get to this database, click on Online Resources on the WLS home page, then Books, Genealogy and Magazines and scroll down to the subject of health.

Librarian's Best Web Picks: This index was compiled by a WLS committee of librarians. It is a good place to begin to search for information. It is arranged by subject and is composed of what local librarians believe are the best sites on any given subject.

BUBL Information Services: This is a British based catalog of selected Internet resources.

Internet Public Library: This Internet directory is maintained by the Michigan School of Information.

Virtual Reference Shelf: The Library of Congress compiled these selected web sites.

First Find: First Find, available through the Westchester Library System, has basic information on easy to read websites.

A useful site for help structuring Internet searches.