Health Information

 
AgeInfo. The Centre for Policy on Ageing (CPA), an independent social policy organization based in London, maintains AgeInfo, an information service that fosters an informed discussion on the social, behavioral, and health issues of the elderly. The Web version of AgeInfo provides a searchable bibliographic database of more than 30,000 articles, reports, and books held by the CPA's special collection on Social Gerontology.

Allergy and Asthma Network. "AAN-MA is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1985 to help families in their quest to overcome and maintain control of asthma , allergies and related conditions." It's mission is to: "eliminate suffering and death due to asthma and allergies through education, advocacy, community outreach, and research." The site includes information on research, purchasing products, facts about allergies and asthma, press releases, and physicians.

Ask Dr. Weil. Sponsored by the Vitamin Shoppe, this site has a distinct commercial bias. "Dr. Andrew Weil is a leader in the integration of Western medicine and the exploding field of alternative medicine. A graduate of Harvard Medical School, he teaches at the University of Arizona in Tucson, specializing in alternative medicine, mind/body interactions and medical botany. He is the founder of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson, where he is training a new generation of physicians." The site has a question de jour as well as a self-help section and an herbal medicine chest which gives you information on what herbs work for which aliment.

The Black Health Network. This web site is geared toward the African-American community. It emphasizes prenatal care, gallstone diasease, health care for teenagers. It contains user information, articles, and you can ask a physician questions in the Q&A section. There is also a bookstore on line where you can buy suggested books on health.

CNN Health. Information on health released to the popular press. Also has a links to the Mayo Clinic and other parts of the CNN site. An online health newspaper.

Consumer Information Catalog-Health. Use web site to request brochures and other information from the government on topics such as tap water Supply, donating blood, and contraception. Nearly all the information is free or available for a very minimal fee, generally $.50.

Dr. Pribut's Sports Page. This site includes information on running and health injuries associated with running. The physician (Dr. Pribut) provides Q&A, suggested books, topics, surveys, interactive health assement. Very useful for the runner or athlete.

Family Health International. Available in French, English, Russian, and Spanish, this is a highly comprehensive and informative site addressing health issues such as family planning, HIV/AIDS, and women's studies. "Family Health International (FHI) works to improve reproductive and family health around the world through biomedical and social science research, innovative health service delivery interventions, training and information programs."

Health Central. Health Central is Dr. Dean Edell's health information website. Edell is a medical journalist and radio talk-show host. A decidedly-commerical site, it does have general health information. "HealthCentral first launched its information site HealthCentral.com, in 1998, it was the beginning of a well-planned strategy to provide trustworthy health information and tools for consumers and healthcare institutions in order to empower consumers."

HealthScout. "HealthScout is the Internet's largest distributor of consumer health news and Health-Life Services. As a personal health agent, HealthScout syndicates personalized daily health news, health information, and interactive health management tools to hundreds of consumer Web sites and portals. HealthScout contains health news on over 800 topics ranging from allergies to zygomycosis and self-care tools that include e-mail alerts, personalized health news and topic-specific newsletters, a 7-Minute Checkup, Latest Recalls, Mini-Checkups and other Health-Life Services."

HealthWorld Online. For professionals, researchers, journalists, and consumers, this site integrates conventional and alternative/natural approaches to health and medicine. HealthWorld's mission: "Through this global, interactive electronic medium known as the Internet, HealthWorld Online is committed to fulfill the public and professional demand for reliable, integrative health, wellness and medical information, products and services."

KidsHealth - Children's Health & Parenting Information. This is a cute website for kids and parents and even professionals, with links for everything from earaches to finding a baby-sitter. The site's goal is to "provide the best children's health information on the Internet! Only KidsHealth has separate areas for kids, teens, and parents—each with its own design, age-appropriate content, and tone. There are literally hundreds of in-depth articles and features, and the site continues to grow every week."

The Mayo Clinic's Health Oasis. "This site is produced by a team of writers, editors, multimedia and graphics producers, health educators, nurses, doctors, and scientists. Our presence on the Web is a natural extension of Mayo's long-standing commitment to provide health education to our patients and the general public. MayoClinic.com is the only Web site that gives you access to the experience and knowledge of the more than 2,000 physicians and scientists of the Mayo Clinic." Includes a wealth of information on health care issues, including allergy and asthma, Alzheimer's, women's health, men's health, cancer, nutrition, medicine, heart, children's health. Visitors can also request the Mayo Clinic's weekly bulletins via email, find out about specific drugs, and take quizzes on health issues.

NewsRx. Search for articles on a variety of health topics. Includes over 20 online magazines such as Cancer Weekly, Blood Weekly, and Antiviral Weekly. "NewsRx has provided information solutions for business, government, and consumers. NewsRx is a private company originally operated under the name of its founder, CW Henderson, an acknowledged pioneer in the health reporting field. NewsRx serves top professionals in over 50 countries worldwide. Subscribers include pharmaceutical/biotech executives and researchers, medical product developers, hospitals and other medical facilities, physicians and nurses, educators and activists, government officials, and leaders in the academic and healthcare communities."

ScienceDaily Magazine. This is a snazzy graphics site covering topics in life sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences. It includes news groups, opinion polls, letters, etc. Designed for the bubble gum generation with pretty graphics and bright colors, yet still informative. For example, one page describes what new research with rats is finding out about carpal tunnel syndrome. "ScienceDaily is one of the Internet's leading online magazines and Web portals devoted to science, technology, and medicine. ScienceDaily is unique in that the magazine's articles are selected from news releases submitted by leading universities and other research organizations around the world. Each news release is posted in its original form, with a contact name and link to the organization's home page, to aid journalists and others interested in finding up-to-date and relevant background information for a particular story."

Shape Up America. This is a website designed to encourage America to get healthy. It provides information on Body Mass Index (BMI) and how to control or lose weight. This information is provided as a book and has to be downloaded through Adobe Acrobat. Shape Up "is focusing on redefining weight management by encouraging increased physical activity and healthy eating for all Americans. Shape Up America! encourages small lifestyle changes that provide immediate health dividends, such as lower blood cholesterol levels. Additional benefits include increased independence, productivity, and reduced demands for health care services. Accordingly, the key messages are designed to promote increased physical activity and improvements in dietary intake that prevent weight gain or produce weight loss and weight maintenance. Shape Up America! is committed to disseminating these messages to men, women, and children of all ages, regardless of their ethnicity or socioeconomic status."

Speare Intervention Counseling Associates. Provides information on family and executive interventions for chemical dependency and other addictive/compulsive behaviors. For information on intervention training for counseling professionals, see Speare Raiter Training Associates

Teach Your Patients About Asthma: A Clinician's Guide. Information from the National Asthma Education Program Office of Prevention, Education, and Control; the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; and National Institute of Health. "A practical and flexible guide designed to help clinicians teach adults and children with asthma and parents of children with asthma about their disease and its management. The guide can be used in a variety of settings such as private and group practices, clinics, inpatient hospital units, and emergency departments. it is designed for clinicians (physicians, physician assistants, and nurses), respiratory therapists, other health professionals, and health educators."

Yahoo! News Health Reuters. This site has daily updates in the field of health and is similar to the health section of a news paper. It also contains some interesting links to sites such as: Kids Health, Virtual Body, and Your Health.

Your Health Daily. Discusion groups, newswires, search topics, and articles. A well done site. Brought to you by the New York Times Syndicate.