e-Resources on Consumer Health: Comparing & Evaluating Resources

Evaluating Health Information: MedlinePlus – ( https://medlineplus.gov/evaluatinghealthinformation.html )

Millions of consumers get health information from magazines, TV or the Internet. Some of the information is reliable and up to date; some is not. How can you tell the good from the bad? MedlinePlus has compiled resources that can help you evaluate health information and resources.

Finding Reliable Information: ​American Academy of Family Physicians, Health Information on the Web – ( https://familydoctor.org/health-information-on-the-web-finding-reliable-information/ ) 

Quackwatch – ( http://www.quackwatch.org/ )

Guide to quackery, health fraud, myths, fads, fallacies and misconduct. Note: the author of this site is averse to alternative medicine. 

Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) – ( https://www.kff.org/ )

KFF is the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism. Our mission is to serve as a nonpartisan source of information for policymakers, the media, the health policy community, and the public.

News Medical – ( https://www.news-medical.net/ )

Open-access medical and life science hubs. A community of scientific, medical, and life sciences experts that produce and share the latest information, in a readable, understandable way.

ClinicalTrials.gov – ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ )

ClinicalTrials.gov provides regularly updated information about federally and privately supported clinical research in human volunteers. ClinicalTrials.gov gives you information about a trial’s purpose, who may participate, locations, and phone numbers for more details.

Not sure where to start? After reading through Learn about Studies, click on the Find Studies (drop-down menu) and select: See Studies by Topic.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) – ( https://nccih.nih.gov/ )

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is 1 of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This site includes information about treatments and therapies for Complementary and Alternative Medicine like yoga, acupuncture, and other practices. Learn about how to be an informed consumer of CAM and stay informed on the latest new alerts.

Know the Science: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) – ( https://nccih.nih.gov/health/know-science )

Created by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), the "Know the Science" website provides tools to help better understand complex scientific topics that relate to health research so that you can be discerning about what you hear and read and make well-informed decisions about your health. Know the Science features a variety of materials including interactive modules, quizzes, and videos about interactions between medicines, how to evaluate heath news, and many other topics.

Surgery: MedlinePlus – ( https://medlineplus.gov/surgery.html )

There are many reasons to have surgery. Some operations can relieve or prevent pain. Others can reduce a symptom of a problem or improve some body function. Some surgeries are done to find a problem. ...

Also consider additional topics listed in the boxes labeled "Medical Encyclopedia" and "Related Health Topics" found within this entry.

Questions to Ask Before Surgery: John Hopkins Medicine – ( www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/questions-to-ask-before-surgery )

Millions of Americans will undergo surgery each year. It is important to be informed about the surgery being recommended, particularly if it is elective surgery (an operation you choose to have done), rather than an emergency surgery. All surgeries have risks and benefits. It's important to understand them before deciding whether the procedure is appropriate for you.