LibGuides: Consumer Health Resources: General Health for Adults and Children

Disclaimer

This guide was created for patrons looking for general consumer health information. These resources are for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For questions related to advice, diagnosis, or treatment please contact a licensed medical provider.

General Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The latest information on all kinds of diseases, safety, prevention, emergency preparedness, environmental health, and health advice for travelers. Also features news reports on infectious disease outbreaks.
CDC Travelers' Health
Information for travelers and clinicians, including vaccines, medicines, and advice.
Choosing Wisely
An initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation in partnership with Consumer Reports that seeks to advance a national dialogue on avoiding wasteful or unnecessary medical tests, treatments and procedures. Contains lists of things that patients and their doctors should question based on evidence.
FamilyDoctor.org
From the American Academy of Family Physicians and contains health information for the whole family, self-care flowcharts, drug information, and alternative remedies.
FDA for Consumers
Information from the US Food and Drug Administration about food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, and more. Includes product recalls and alerts.
Health Information from the National Institutes of Health
Information from the National Institutes of Health on diseases and conditions as well as wellness and lifestyle topics. Includes helpful information on How To Talk To Your Doctor.
Healthwise Knowledgebase
Resources for a variety of health topics from the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.
Mayo Clinic Patient Care and Health Information
Features information on diseases, conditions, drugs and supplements, and healthy living. The Health Information section includes user-submitted questions on select health topics that are answered by medical specialists.
MedlinePlus
MedlinePlus, from the National Library of Medicine, has extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over 1000 disease and conditions. Also includes wellness and lifestyle topics. There are lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia, medical dictionary, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, and health information from the media.
Office of Minority Health
The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health addresses disease prevention, health promotion, risk reduction, healthier lifestyle choices, use of healthcare services, and barriers to healthcare for racial and ethnic minorities.

Resources for Adults

ACOG Patient Education
Information you can trust from the leading experts in women's healthcare, provided by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Exercise and Physical Activity
Information on how exercise and physical activity can help you stay healthy as you age. Articles were previously housed on the National Institute on Aging's Go4Life site.
The Family Caregiver: Education Center
A comprehensive collection of family-friendly publications filled with practical information on caregiving issues and health conditions.
Health in Aging
Created by the American Geriatrics Society's Health in Aging Foundation to provide consumers and caregivers with up-to-date information on health and aging.
National Institute on Aging
Health information with a focus on topics important to older adults. The site features larger print and images so information is easier to read.
Office of Women's Health
The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Women's Health provides national leadership and coordination to improve the health of women and girls through policy, education, and innovative programs.
Urology Care Foundation
Urologic patient education from the American Urological Association.
Veterans Health Library
Veterans health library with resources from the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Resources for Children and Teens

AboutKidsHealth
A health education website for children, youth, and their caregivers.
HealthyChildren.org
Information from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), including policies and guidelines, publications, and other child health resources. Site is also available in Spanish.
KidsHealth
Separate areas for kids, teens, and parents, with age-appropriate content for each. Covers the body, staying healthy and safe, emotions, medical problems, nutrition, and more. The kids area contains a section explaining diseases like Alzheimer's at a level that children can understand.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) supports and conducts research aimed at improving the health of children, adults, families, and communities.
Office of Adolescent Health
Information from the US Department of Health and Human Services on reproductive health, mental health, substance abuse, physical health and nutrition, and healthy relationships.

International Resources

Health Canada
Health Canada is responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health. It ensures that high-quality health services are accessible, and works to reduce health risks.
National Health Service
The NHS is the UK's biggest health website, accounting for a quarter of all health-related web traffic, and strives to be a world-leading multichannel service for everyone engaging with the NHS and social care.

Specific Health Conditions

Resources for information about specific health conditions. Includes associations, foundations, and institutes.