The Reference Shelf:  Health and Medicine

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Alternative Medicine | Dictionaries |  Drugs | Encyclopedias | Food and Nutrition |
Government Sources | Mental Health | Statistics | Other

See also:  Biology and Life Sciences; Psychology

Comprehensive Sites
Harvard World Health News "An online news digest from the Center for Health Communication at the Harvard School of Public Health. The site covers critical public health issues from around the world. It is designed to be a resource for an international audience of policy makers and journalists as well as public health researchers, practitioners, and advocates.  [It]offers a combination of original reporting and a digest of news stories and commentaries from newspapers and magazines worldwide... It includes special features prepared by the Harvard School of Public Health, such as videotaped interviews with experts, as well as access to radio and television coverage of important breaking public health news stories from websites of leading news organizations.
HealthWeb "Organized access to evaluated non-commercial, health-related, Internet-accessible resources...  HealthWeb is a collaborative project of the health sciences libraries of the Greater Midwest Region of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine and those of the Committee for Institutional Cooperation.  Currently there are over twenty actively participating member libraries."
MedLine Plus "MedlinePlus will direct you to information to help answer health questions. MedlinePlus brings together authoritative information from NLM, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations. Preformulated MEDLINE searches are included in MedlinePlus and give easy access to medical journal articles. MedlinePlus also has extensive information about drugs, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, interactive patient tutorials, and latest health news."

Alternative Medicine
About Herbs, Drugs, and Other Botanicals "Evidence-based information on herbs, botanicals, vitamins, and other supplements."  From the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Herbal Safety "Objectives: To explain the need for factual information about herbal products used internationally, but with emphasis on the United Sates-Mexico border, where the prevalence of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is much higher (almost 70%) in comparison with the rest of the U.S.A."  From the University of Texas-El Paso.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine "One of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH)... NCCAM is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals."
More on Alternative Medicine from: HealthWeb  MedlinePlus

Dictionaries
A-Z Common Symptom Answer Guide "Written in plain English —not the medicalese of ER or scientific journals—this book is designed to help you think about your symptoms and to prepare you for your doctor’s visit. It can then be used as a handy reference after that visit to further explain and clarify anything you didn’t have time to ask in the office or hospital.  The purpose is not to allow for self-diagnosis. Figuring out what ails you is for your doctor to do. But by knowing what questions your doctor might ask, you’ll help her make a more definitive diagnosis.  And by knowing what to expect, you’ll hopefully rest easier and be more ready to cope with the information."	netLibrary
Concise Medical Dictionary "This best-selling dictionary is indispensable both as a home medical guide and as an aid for all those working in the medical and allied professions. The entries are clearly laid out and jargon-free, making the book both accessible and informative."	Oxford
Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science and Medicine "This dictionary covers all the major areas of sports science and medicine including: anatomy, biomechanics, exercise physiology, nutrition, sports psychology, sports sociology, sports injuries, and training principles. It was compiled with the help of a team of eminent contributors and advisers; the second edition has been updated in line with the rapid growth in the disciplines of sports science and sports medicine.  This is a useful guide for medical specialists, students of PE, coaches, and athletes, as well as those interested in health and fitness who wish to understand terms such as A-band, jogger's nipple, maximal aerobic power, social loafing, and zero-sum competition."	Oxford

Encyclopedias and Guides
FamilyDoctor.org "This Web site is operated by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), a national medical organizations representing more than 93,700 family physicians, family practice residents and medical students. All of the information on this site has been written and reviewed by physicians and patient education professionals at the AAFP. "
MayoClinic.com "Our mission is to empower people to manage their health. We accomplish this by providing useful and up-to-date information and tools that reflect the expertise and standard of excellence of Mayo Clinic.  A team of Web-publishing professionals and medical experts work side by side to produce this site."
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia  "The adam Health Illustrated Encyclopedia includes over 4,000 articles about diseases, tests, symptoms, injuries, and surgeries. It also contains an extensive library of medical photographs and illustrations."
Oxford Companion to the Body "A fascinating and authoritative guide to every aspect of the body. It provides concise and readable accounts of the structure and function of all the major systems of the body and the causes of disorders that affect them. Interwoven with this coverage of the science of the body, are entertaining and informative articles on social and religious attitudes to the body, and its significance for artists, philosophers and writers."	Oxford

Food and Nutrition
Food and Nutrition Information Center "A directory to credible, accurate, and practical resources for consumers, nutrition and health professionals, educators and government personnel. Visitors can find printable format educational materials, government reports, research papers and more. FNIC nutrition information specialists review all site content to ensure top quality resources."  From the National Agricultural Library.
Nutrition Source:  Knowledge for Healthy Eating From the Harvard School of Public Health.  "At the Nutrition Source, we explore the latest science about healthy eating for adults, answering key questions: How helpful is the USDA's new Pyramid and "food guidance system"? Should you still be concerned about fat intake? Should you eat more or fewer carbohydrates? What about eggs? Fiber? Calcium?
NutritionData "NutritionData (ND) is a reference site which provides free and unbiased nutritional information."  Find out very detailed nutritional information for everything from a hard boiled egg to the entire menu of over 30 fast food restaurants.  Search the database from the dropdown menu in the upper right corner or browse topics such as the BMI and Calories Burned Calculator and Food Additives.  Also:  Nutrition News, updated daily.

Government Agencies
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research "AHRQ sponsors and conducts research that provides evidence-based information on health care outcomes; quality; and cost, use, and access. The information helps health care decisionmakers—patients and clinicians, health system leaders, purchasers, and policymakers—make more informed decisions and improve the quality of health care services."  Part of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) "Since it was founded in 1946 to help control malaria, CDC has remained at the forefront of public health efforts to prevent and control infectious and chronic diseases, injuries, workplace hazards, disabilities, and environmental health threats. Today, CDC is globally recognized for conducting research and investigations and for its action oriented approach. CDC applies research and findings to improve people’s daily lives and responds to health emergencies—something that distinguishes CDC from its peer agencies."
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) "The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. The FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods to improve their health."
National Institutes of Health 27 separate Institutes and Centers, from the National Cancer Institute to the National Human Genome Research Institute "Simply described, the goal of NIH research is to acquire new knowledge to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease and disability, from the rarest genetic disorder to the common cold. The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone. NIH works toward that mission by: conducting research in its own laboratories; supporting the research of non-Federal scientists in universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout the country and abroad; helping in the training of research investigators; and fostering communication of medical and health sciences information."  Health Information A-Z

Mental Health
Depression:  A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References "This book was created for medical professionals, students, and members of the general public who want to know as much as possible about depression, using the most advanced research tools available and spending the least amount of time doing so. In addition to offering a structured and comprehensive bibliography, the pages that follow will tell you where and how to find reliable information covering virtually all topics related to depression, from the essentials to the most advanced areas of research. Public, academic, government, and peer-reviewed research studies are emphasized."	netLibrary
National Institute of Mental Health "NIMH offers a variety of publications and other educational resources to help people with mental disorders, the general public, mental health and health care practitioners, and researchers gain a better understanding of mental illnesses and the research programs of the NIMH.  All publications and educational materials are written by science writers, in collaboration with NIMH scientists and outside reviewers. Extensive resources on depression, eating disorders, and ADD and more.
National Mental Health Association "The country's oldest and largest nonprofit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness...NMHA works to improve the mental health of all Americans, especially the 54 million people with mental disorders, through advocacy, education, research and service."  Their Resource Center

Statistics
Faststats A-Z The Faststats site provides quick access to statistics on topics of public health importance and is organized alphabetically.  Links are provided to publications that include the statistics presented, to sources of more data, and to related web pages."  From the National Center for Health Statistics.
State Health Facts.org "Statehealthfacts.org is a project of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and is designed to provide free, up-to-date, and easy-to-use health data on all 50 states. Statehealthfacts.org provides data on more than 450 health topics...Data presented on statehealthfacts.org are a selection of key health and health policy issues collected from a variety of public and private sources, including: original Kaiser Family Foundation reports, data from public websites, and information purchased from private organizations

Other
AEGiS:  AIDS Education Global Information System "The goals of AEGiS are twofold: First, we are committed to offering HIV/AIDS-related clinical information and news from around the world, making it easily and freely accessible. An array of reference materials are offered, mostly in the form of HIV/AIDS Conference Abstracts. As new aspects of this disease arise, AEGiS will continue to extend its efforts towards the dissemination of potentially life saving information to assist with HIV management and prevention. Our second goal is to provide for future generations a full documentation and permanent archive of how humanity has faced and dealt with what has been described as the worst pandemic since ancient times in both dimension and scope. "
American Cancer Society News and information for patients and their friends, for survivors, and for professionals.  Includes interactive Treatment Decision Tools, information on research programs, statistics, and clinical trials.
bioethics.net The web site of the American Journal of Bioethics includes news on and overviews of a variety of bioethics topics, as well as a blog written by the Journal's editors.  Note:  Bush Library has access to the full text of this Journal in EBSCO MegaFILE from 2001 to present, with a 12 month delay due to publisher restrictions (embargo).
CancerQuest "This site was created to teach the biology of cancer. No assumptions are made about previous knowledge of cancer or biology. The target audience for our site includes cancer patients, their families and friends, medical workers and others interested in the subject. We hope to inform the curious and empower current cancer patients and survivors of cancer with a better understanding of the disease process and the approaches currently taken in cancer treatment."  From Emory University.
Children's Health Topics From the American Academy of Pediatrics. "From asthma to immunization, find out more about what AAP recommends for your children's health."
Report on Carcinogens (RoC) The RoC is an informational scientific and public health document first ordered by Congress in 1978 that identifies and discusses agents, substances, mixtures, or exposure circumstances that may pose a hazard to human health by virtue of their carcinogenicity. The RoC is published biennially and serves as a meaningful and useful compilation of data on: The carcinogenicity (ability to cause cancer), genotoxicity (ability to damage genes), and biologic mechanisms (modes of action in the body) of the listed substance in humans and/or animals. The potential for human exposure to these substances. Federal regulations to limit exposures.