Consumer Health Information Webliography

CAPHIS – Consumer and Patient Health Information Section of the Medical Library Association
http://caphis.mlanet.org
The main objective of CAPHIS is “to provide a forum for health sciences librarians in the area of consumer health information.”  The site contains a consumer health library directory, instructions on how to join the CAPHIS discussion list, resources for managing a consumer health information service, and suggestions for collection development.

eMedicine Consumer Health
http://emedicinehealth.com
Originally launched in 1996 to server as a current clinical knowledge base for health care professionals, eMedicine now offers a consumer health section with a broad range of health topics.  Articles are written by physicians and reviewed by 2 additional physicians as well as a PharmD.  A medical dictionary, drug recalls and alerts, and eTools with various health calculators are also provided.

Family Doctor – from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
http://familydoctor.org/
All the information included on this web site from the AAFP is written and reviewed by physicians and patient education specialists.  Health conditions and health tools are included on this site.

Health and Wellness Resource Center
Available by subscription or via Texshare

Not only is Health and Wellness Resource Center a comprehensive resource for medical, health, and wellness information but it also delivers up-to-date reference materials, such as full-text magazines, pamphlets, and journals.  HWRC is available to many Texas libraries through Texshare.

KidsHealth
http://kidshealth.org
Sponsored by the Nemours Foundation and in collaboration with a panel of medical reviewers, KidsHealth provides up-to-date, jargon-free health information about children from before birth through adolescence.  Separate areas for kids, teens, and parents, each with its own design and age-appropriate content, are provided.

Lab Tests Online
http://www.labtestonline.org
This site, provided by American Association for Clinical Chemistry is both peer-reviewed and non-commercial.  It was designed to help consumers understand the many clinical lab tests that are part of routine care as well as diagnosis and treatment of a broad range of conditions and diseases.  Users can browse or search for specific tests, or review different conditions or diseases to see what tests are suggested.  It also offers current screening recommendations compiled from professional medical and health organizations.

MedlinePlus
http://medlineplus.gov/
The National Library of Medicine, a part of the National Institutes of Health, created and maintains MedlinePlus to assist consumers in locating quality health information.  Following a list of guidelines, MedlinePlus contains Internet links quality health information web sites.  MedlinePlus contains health topics, a medical dictionary and encyclopedias, current health news items, and directories for health professionals and hospitals.

Spiral (Selected Patient Information Resources in Asian Languages)
http://spiral.tufts.edu/
Newly developed by Tufts University Health Sciences Library and the South Cove Community Health Center (Boston), this site offers health information in 7 Asian languages.  A user -- either a patient, doctor, or other caregiver -- can browse for information the provided health topics either by topic or language.  Material is also provided in English so that an English-speaking physician or caregiver can see what patients are reading.

TeenHealthFX
http://www.teenhealthfx.com
This site is sponsored by the Atlantic Health System of New Jersey and attempts to provide frank, authoritative, and reliable answers to any and all questions teens may have concerning health, relationships, their bodies, and sexuality.  It provides an archive of previously answered questions and allows users to ask questions while remaining anonymous.

The 24 Languages Project
http://medstat.med.utah.edu/24languages/
Developed by the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library of the University of Utah Health Sciences Center and the Utah Department of Health, this site offers access to over 200 health information brochures in 24 different languages.  Many topics also have an audio component.  Additionally, links to other non-English health information sites are included.

WebMD
http://webmd.com/
Although this is a commercial site (contains advertising, information from sponsors, and pop-ups), WebMD does contain some valuable health information and tools.  Their mission is “to bring you objective, trustworthy, and timely health information”, and they have a content staff and a medical editorial board that writes and reviews all content on the site.