Thousands of medical-related websites exist, many of which are not credible. Included here are sites that have been sighted in reliable communications as credible. Sites are listed in alphabetical order within each category. Many of the sites have links to other sites that may also be of help to you. If a specific link has been changed, go to the home page of the organization and use the search function to find the specific topic for which you seek information.

When judging the credibility of any website consider the following:

• Who sponsors or owns the site? The About Us on the site provides information about the publisher and the site mission. Many sites are sponsored by companies trying to sell their product or services and may have a bias in the information provided.
• Information credibility—Who is the provider, what are their credentials and the scientific basis for the information?
• Is the information on tests, treatment, and technology up-to-date? Are posting and revision dates current
• Does the site have a Health on the Net Foundation (HON) seal? These organizations promise to maintain set standards.
• Note: All sites were available and functioning at this writing. As the Internet is dynamic, some may no longer be available or functioning with the same URL.

Medical Gateways (These sites have links to numerous other sites)

http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer – Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Major topics include: Consumers & Patients, Research Findings, Quality & Patient Safety, Public Health Preparedness, and more.

www.ipl.org: The Internet Public Library. A major gateway to not only medical sites, but every topic imaginable.

www.medlineplus.gov – A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health. Comprehensive site. Among the topics and services are: Drugs & Supplements, Medical Encyclopedia & Dictionary, Directory to find doctors, dentists, and hospitals, Senior Health, Surgical Videos, Clinical Trial for New Drugs and Treatments, and much more.

www.4women.gov – National Women’s Health Information Center. Links to thousands of publications. A Federal Clearing House.

Children & Parenting

http://www.kidshealth.org – Large collection of articles compiled by physicians of the Nemours Foundation. A gateway to 3 sites: Parents, Kids & Teens.

Christian (medical-related)

http://www.family.org: Website of Focus on the Family / Dr. James Dobson

http://www.drwalt.com: The website of Dr. Walt Larimore, the author of God’s design for the Highly Healthy Person and other titles.

Communicating with Your Doctors

http://www.cancer.gov/cam/ – National Cancer Institute’s Office of Cancer, Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/ – National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements

http://nccam.nih.gov/ – National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. A place to start if you are interested in exploring alternatives to traditional medicine.

Family Medical History

http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/activities/famhx.htm – CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention) information about their Family History Initiative.

http://www.mayoclinic.com – Search for “family medical history” to aid in creating a family history.

Finding Hospitals or Physicians

http://webapps.ama-assn.org/doctorfinder/home.html – DoctorFinder -To find doctors by specialty near you. Tells their training and certifications and whether they are a member of the AMA (American Medical Association).

http://www.checkbook.org – Nonprofit consumer education that provides ratings on top hospitals and doctors nationwide. They also provide tips on how to get the best care. You can subscribe to get the information online or order the guides by calling 800-839-7283.

http://www.leapfroggroup.org/for_consumers – To find hospitals with computerized drug-ordering systems, go to the Leapfrog survey results and much more.

General Medical Information

Http://www.empowher.com – Women’s health and wellness

http://www.patients.uptodate.com/ – Medical information in layman terms. Sponsored by several medical specialty organizations.

http://www.cdc.gov – The site of the Center for Disease Control & Prevention. Main topic categories are: Health & Safety, Publications & Products, Data & Stats, Programs & Campaigns. Information on infectious diseases, traveler’s health, immunizations, diseases carried in food, sexually transmitted diseases, and much more.

http://www.guideline.gov – National Guideline Clearinghouse. A public resource for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, which provides information to help you understand the treatment guidelines doctors are supposed to follow for various conditions.

http://www.mayoclinic.com – Easy to understand information, which can be looked up by disease, condition, or symptoms. Other sections are available to help manage conditions and live well. You can “Ask the Mayo Specialist” and use a variety of tools or view videos.

http://www.merck.com/mmhe/index.html – The On-line version of The Merck Manual of Medical Information, Second Home Edition described in the book listings above.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/hp.asp – This site has a medical dictionary, references, links, and news written by a network of US Board Certified Physicians & Allied Health Professionals.

http://www.webmd.com – besides covering a wide variety of medical information they have 30 email newletters you can subscribe to.

Medical Information – Disease/Condition Specific:

www.ipl.org – Internet Public Library. Click on Health, then Disease, Disorders& Syndromes. Then click on your condition. You will find health organization websites links for each organization related to your condition.

http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/assoc.html – This is a clinical trials listing service, but has links to most of the health associations for specific diseases.

Medicare & Medicaid

http://www.cms.hhs.gov – U.S. federal agency which administers Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Provides wide breadth of information for health professionals, regional governments, and consumers. Provider and facility locators, some with quality ratings to help you select the one right for you.

http://www.medicare.gov – Official U.S. government site for people with Medicare.

Medications / Pharmaceutical Drugs

http://www.aarp.org/health/usingmeds - Information on using medications safely.

http://www.fda.gov – The US Food and Drug Administration site provides information on drugs, medical devices, supplements, and food safety.

http://www.medicinenet.com/medications/article.htm – Find medications alphabetically. Easy to understand information plus access to related articles.

Mental Health

http://www.apa.org – American Psychology Association. Articles, books, and links to a wide variety of psychology-related topics.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov – National Institute of Mental Health. Information and breaking news.

http://www.nmha.org – National Mental Health Association. Find local association, mental health professionals, treatment resources, support groups, and more.

Patient Advocacy / Safety

http://www.cancerpatientadvocate.com – A site dedicated to helping people by providing emotional and spiritual encouragement to patients and their caregivers, especially those facing cancer.

http://webtalkradio.net/shows/getting-better-health-care – Radio show with host Dr. Steve Feldman, Professor of Dermatology, Pathology and Public Health Sciences at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is founder of www.srscore.com

http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/health_after_50 – Offers the latest news on conditions common to people after age 50 and highlights articles from their White Papers and Newsletter written by Johns Hopkins specialists, which you can subscribe to. Also has books on each topic.

http://www.patientadvocate.org – Patient Advocate Foundation is a national non-profit organization that serves as an active liaison between the patient and his insurer, employer and / or creditors to resolve insurance, job retention and / or debt crisis matters relative to his diagnosis. Patient Advocate Foundation seeks to safeguard patients through effective mediation assuring access to care, maintenance of employment and preservation of their financial stability.

http://www.npaf.org/index.php – Their mission is stated as: “National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF) is a national, non-profit organization that is dedicated to the mission of creating avenues of patient access through improved access to, and reimbursement for, evolving therapies, therapeutic agents, and devices through policy and legislative reform at the state and federal levels. Our mission is shaped by the experiences of the patients served through our companion organization, Patient Advocate Foundation.”

http://www.npsf.org –  National Patient Safety Foundation Mission: “To improve the safety of patients through our efforts to: Identify and create a core body of knowledge; Identify pathways to apply the knowledge; Develop and enhance the culture of receptivity to patient safety; Raise public awareness and foster communications about patient safety; and Improve the status of the Foundation and its ability to meet its goals.”

http://www.restministries.com – A nonprofit Christian organization for people with chronic disease. Home of HopeKeepers Magazine and support groups and more.

Travel

http://www.iamat.org – International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers. IAMAT is a non-profit organization established in 1960. Stated mission: “Our aim is to advise travelers about health risks, the geographical distribution of diseases worldwide, immunization requirements for all countries, and to make competent medical care available to travelers by western-trained doctors who speak English besides their mother tongue.”

Weight Management

http://www.eatright.org – American Dietetic Association. The site is mainly for dieticians, but has a section for consumers with articles discussing the validity of some of the popular and / or fad ideas. Also has a very valuable set of links to many diet and weight oriented organizations.

http://www.niddk.nih.gov – National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases. Weight control and diet information with links to other sites, plus much more.

Medical Ratings

The first place to check is with your state’s medical board. More states are increasingly making ratings of hospitals and doctors available to the public. Many states have a web site where you can access or request this information. These can usually be found by doing a search using a good Internet search engine.

http://www.checkbook.org – A nonprofit consumer education organization. They provide Consumer’s Checkbook’s Guides with ratings to top hospitals, doctors, dentists, and health plans in seven areas of the country. Also has National guidebooks for top doctors, hospitals, and Federal employee health plans. May also be purchased by calling 800-839-7283.

http://www.drscore.com – A tool for rating your satisfaction with doctor’s care.

http://www.jointcommission.org – Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Find out if a hospital or center you want to use is certified or accredited. You can also file a complaint about a health care organization through this site and much more. Can also be reached at 630-792-5800.

http://www.quackwatch.org – A non-profit site run by Stephen Barrett. Scientifically based articles to help you evaluate offerings that promise miracle cures, recognize fraud, and medical myths.

http://www.healthgrades.com – An independent company that offers a free hospital rating report. You can also purchase a more comprehensive hospital report, physician and nursing home reports.

Page Last Updated December, 2010