Balancing ACES with HOPE Study
Dr. Bob Sege, Tufts
Podcasts
#20 A communities experience with using this resource
https://organizing4change.
#21 Dr. Sege
https://organizing4change.
American Heart Association
Centers for Disease Control (Atlanta)
Dr. Koop.com
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
For Healthy Communities
Healthfinder: a service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Massachusetts Hospital Association
National Institutes of Health
National Library of Medicine
World Health Organization
Health Care Quality Links
American Medical Association
Hospital Compare
MyHealthCareOptions
National Committee for Quality Assurance
Consumer Health Resources on the Internet
The following resources for consumer health information were selected by South Shore Hospital and may be helpful in answering a wide range of health and medical questions.
These sites were selected according to criteria based on content, design, currency, authority, and ease of use.
Top medical news stories of the week with links to related CNN stories and web sites. Key word searching of entire database.
Subject-Specific Resources
Advance Medical Directives
It’s wise while you are healthy to designate someone you trust to make health care decisions on your behalf in the event you are unable to make your own. Call the concierge at (781) 624-4300 for a free advance medical directives (health care proxy) kit.
You can also visit www.putitinwriting.org for help with advance medical directives.
Alcohol and Drug Information
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
Information on substance abuse prevention and facts about alcohol and drug use for parents, youth, teachers, and prevention specialists. Contains over 8,000 prevention materials for adults.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism
A wealth of information on alcohol-related health issues. Pamphlets, brochures, clinical trials, database links, and FAQ’s. Information in English and Spanish.
Allergies and Asthma
Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Online
Information on asthma and allergy treatments for physicians and patients. Discusses when to see an allergist and how to select an allergist.
American Academy of Allergy and Immunology
The Academy’s Patient and Public Resource Center offers information on asthma and allergic diseases, including food and latex allergies, pollen and spore counts, news stories, and physician referral service.
General information for consumers. Research, product alerts, recipes, selected articles from their print newsletter.
Asthma and Allergy Information from Intelihealth
Visit the Allergy and Asthma Health Areas (listed under the “Diseases and Conditions” menu.) General information about diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of allergies and asthma.
Kids With Food Allergies Foundation
Helps families keep children with food allergies safe and healthy. One of the unique ways KFA provides that help is through their online forums.
Allergy Resources for School Nurses
Information relevant for school nurses working with children with allergies.
Food Allergies
Food allergy symptoms and causes and links regarding treatment.
Alternative Medicine
From Drugless.org – dedicated to providing people with information on drug treatment, intervention,prevention, and other related subject matter. If you or a loved one need help, you can rely on us for high quality information and assistance.
HerbMed is an interactive, electronic herbal database. It provides hyperlinked access to the scientific & medical research articles on the use of herbs for treating medical conditions. This evidence-based information resource is for professionals, researchers, and the general public.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
General information about alternative and complementary therapies, with links to research studies currently being conducted on alternative therapies for addiction, aging, AIDS, cancer, asthma, stroke, neurologic conditions, and women’s health.
Rosenthal Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Links to resources on acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, and herbal medicine and alternative therapies for cancer and women’s health. The Center sponsors research on alternative and complementary medical practices.
Arthritis/Rheumatic Diseases
American College of Rheumatology
Patient information fact sheets on arthritis and rheumatic diseases, including Sjogren’s syndrome, scleroderma, gout, and fibromyalgia. Links to professional rheumatology web sites.
Information on different types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases, including fibromyalgia, as well as research and current news. Select “Resource Room” for fact sheets, brochures and information on how to order other publications. Current information on Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis is included under the section “Starting Points”. See also the arthritis information page on MedlinePlus.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Information for the consumer on osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis pain treatment, polymyalgia rheumatica, giant cell arteritis.
Cancer
Information for patients and families on diagnosis and treatment, cancer prevention, alternative treatments, links to other cancer resources.
American Institute for Cancer Research
Learn how to make simple changes in your diet to reduce your cancer risk. Recipes, information on free publications, and links to cancer and nutrition sites are included.
From the National Cancer Institute, information on cancer for the patient and the health professional. Includes information on cancer prevention, causes, genetics, and support resources. Has summaries of cancer treatment protocols from the Physician Data Query (PDQ) database with statements for the patient and for the physician.
From the National Cancer Institute, search for information on 1,500 current research studies on cancer. Includes information defining clinical trials, how to search for studies, how to participate.
Complemenary/Integrative Medicine Educational Resources
From the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, Houston, this site has evidence-based reviews of complementary or alternative cancer therapies, as well as links to other authoritative resources. These reviews evaluate the designs and the results of published research on herbal, mind-body, energy, nutrition, and other biological / organic / pharmacologic (e.g., cartilage) substances.
The best cancer resource on the Internet. Information for physicians and patients on causes, diagnosis, current treatment protocols, screening, emotional support, clinical trials, complementary therapies, and more. Entire site is searchable.
Children’s Health
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
“Facts for Families” series offers information on topics including bedwetting, children and divorce, the child with autism, helping teenagers with stress, the depressed child, and many other child and adolescent mental health-related topics.
American Academy of Pediatrics
The leading medical authority on children’s health. “You and Your Family” section offers a car-seat buying guide and an air bag and car seat safety checklist, information on immunizations, how to help children become better readers, ordering information for AAP publications, including a children’s media guide. Reviews of pediatric Internet resources.
Developed by Tufts University, this site describes and evaluates web sites that contain research-based information about child development. Categories include education and learning, health and mental health, family and parenting, and typical development.
Children’s Environmental Health Network
Learn how environmental pollutants and hazards affect children’s health. A resource guide has information on the health effects of specific toxins, how to protect children from environmental hazards, links to related organizations, and Internet resources.
A kids web page created by the FDA, this site offers sections on food safety. Other interesting features are drug definitions for the contents of the home medicine cabinet, as well as information on diseases and vaccines. “YORICK” the bionic skeleton explains the working of mechanical parts. A top-notch site.
Resources for children, parents, and professionals on children’s health issues.
Teens can use this site to find information on eating disorders, health snacks, moods, feelings and a question and answer format dealing with sexuality.
Explains ADD and offers information on coping and medications, and recommends additional resources for parents and kids.
An online health education center that has been designed to help educators, teachers, parents, families and the community communicate physical and mental health science education concepts to students K-12 through health educational resources such as games, activities, and lesson plans.
Physical Fitness Tips for Kids
Fun ideas for kids about how to get fit and what exercises to try out (additional links available).
Tips From the School Nurse: Healthy Bodies for Kids
Interesting facts about health and a world of resources for kids to discover lots of fun facts about health.
Clinical Research Trials
From the National Cancer Institute, search for information on 1,500 current research studies on cancer. Includes information defining clinical trials, how to search for studies, how to participate.
Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP)
CISCRP is a non-profit organization focused on educating and informing the public about clinical research participation.
Information on clinical trials for 20 disease categories. Profiles of 150 research centers conducting clinical trials, and profiles of companies that provide a variety of contract services to the clinical trials industry. Includes industry and governmen-sponsored clinical trials and information on new drug treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Information on current research being conducted on treatments for different diseases.
Browse by disease category and sponsor or search the entire site. Learn what clinical trials are all about and how to decide to participate in a trial.
Disabilities
Sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, this database has over 25,000 assistive technology products from domestic and international sources. Includes fact sheets on how to evaluate and select products and links to disability-related web sites.
Hundreds of disability-related topics, including advocacy, Americans with Disabilities Act, education, employment, housing, independent living, legal rights. From a nonprofit organization that provides information about resources for independent living.
National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)
Although at times difficult to navigate, this site has excellent information on many disability topics. Incorporates information from NARIC’s five databases and links to disability-related web sites.
Diseases, Medical Conditions, General Health
800AgeInfo is a joint effort between the MA Executive Office of Elder Affairs and Mass Home Care Association. Provides information to help you make good decisions concerning care for the elders of Massachusetts and to help elders find the resources they need to maintain their independence and to improve their quality of life.
Adam.com is a leading online provider of health, medical and wellness information.
After choosing a topic, you can link through to an overview, a list of symptoms, treatments, and prevention.
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Complete Home Medical Guide
Full-text version of the print edition. General health and wellness, using the health care system, first aid and safety, diagnostic procedures, medications, and treatment and prevention of disease.
From the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), this site offers patient education documents for common medical concerns and conditions. All of the information within familydoctor.org has been written and reviewed by physicians and patient education professionals at the AAFP.
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a gateway to consumer information on diseases, medical conditions, health promotion, and many other topics.
From Harvard Medical School, information on diseases and medical conditions, health and fitness, medications, nutrition, childbirth, and other topics.
From the famed Mayo clinic, information on diseases, treatments, fitness, diet, disease prevention, drug information, and first-aid/self-care. Special features include answers to your questions from Mayo specialists, health decision guides to help patients make informed decisions about treatments, and a free email newsletter.
Information on over 400 diseases and medical conditions written for the consumer, with links to relevant citations and abstracts of medical journal articles. Includes a separate drug information section, medical dictionary and encyclopedias, and directories.
Merck Manual of Medical Information – Home Edition
A general guide for consumers on diseases and their treatment, women’s, men’s, and children’s health, and accidents and injuries. Complete online version of their text edition.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Fact sheets on diseases and medical topics from NIH clearinghouses. Clinical practice guidelines for specific diseases (select “Agency for Health Care Policy and Research”); current research studies funded by NIH.
NOAH (New York Online Access to Health)
English and Spanish language information and resources from organizations and governmental agencies. Aging, cancer, asthma, eye diseases, foot and ankle disorders, and pain are just a few of the topics covered.
Diseases, Medical Conditions – Specific
Treatment information, new drugs, current research, caregiver’s resources, and links to other Alzheimer’s resources.
American Association for Respiratory Care
Learn about lung health and diseases of the lungs.
Learn the basics about diabetes, keep current with news related to diabetes, and link to community resources. See also the topic “Diabetes” in MedlinePlus.
Information about the different forms of arthritis and rheumatic diseases, treatments, surgery, alternative therapies, exercise. See also the topic “Arthritis” in MedlinePlus.
An excellent source of information regarding asbestos related diseases including Mesothelioma cancer. Visit the site for up to date information on the risks of asbestos exposure and how to treat and receive help for Mesothelioma patients.
Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases
An excellent source for information on diabetes, digestive diseases, kidney diseases, and endocrine and blood disorders from the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Disease. Includes many Spanish language publications.
Information from the American Liver Foundation on Hepatitis A, B, and C, including treatment, prevention, and liver transplantation. Also has information on other diseases that affect the liver, such as biliary atresia and cirrhosis. For additional information see MedlinePlus under hepatitis and hepatitis C.
Multiple Sclerosis – National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Up-to-date information on the diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis. Includes The Society’s sponsored news stories related to MS, resources for living with MS, advocacy information, contacting local chapters. See also information about MS on the MedlinePlus web site.
From the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, information for consumers on bronchitis, hay fever, chronic obstructive lung disease, parenting the asthmatic child, croup.
Drugs – Prescription / Over-the-Counter
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food & Drug Administration
New and generic drug approvals, database of adverse drug reactions, recent clinical alerts on drug products, and AIDS clinical trials database. Electronic version of “Approved Drug Products and Their Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations”.
CenterWatch – Clinical Trials Listing Service
Information on drug products currently under investigation, arranged by disease category. Entries give brief descriptions of research and contact information. Listing of FDA drug approvals, guidelines to help individuals decide whether to participate in a study, and general information on how drugs are studied.
Drug information from the U.S.Pharmacopeia Drug Information – Advice for the Patient.
Profiles of more than 9,000 prescription and over-the-counter drugs with information on approved uses for the drug, proper use of the drug, precautions while using the drug, and side-effects.
Environmental Health
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Access to TheHazDat Database, the Agency’s hazardous substance/health effects database. Also includes public health statements on hazardous substances. Special section for children and parents includes health effects of hazardous substances on children.
Environmental Protection Agency
Information about clean water, lead poisoning, radon, reducing solid waste. Advice on reducing environmental health risks at home, in the garden, community, and workplace. Includes resources for children. Online versions of EPA’s 7,000 publications.
What’s under your kitchen sink, in your garage, in your bathroom, and on the shelves in your laundry room? Do these household products pose a potential health risk to you and your family? Find out what’s in these products and what are the potential health effects, and other safety and handling information.
An interactive guide to commonly encountered toxic substances.
Health Care Providers
Gives credentials of MDs and DOs, including medical school, year of graduation, and specialties.
Profiles of U.S. hospitals. Basic service is free; more detailed information by paid subscription only.
A gateway to the homepages of hospitals on the web. Includes U.S. and International hospitals.
The Joint Commission (formerly Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
The Quality Check feature on this site supplies details on individual hospital performance ratings from The Joint Commision’s accreditation reports. View Performance Reports and compare institutions’ ratings. Reports cover hospitals, nursing homes, ambulatory care facilities, home care, laboratory services, and long-term care facilities.
Provides detailed information about the performance of every Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country. Searchable by state. Includes a guide to choosing a nursing home and a nursing home checklist to help in making informed choices.
Health Care Proxy
It’s wise while you are healthy to designate someone you trust to make health care decisions on your behalf in the event you are unable to make your own. Call the concierge at (781) 624-4300 for a free advance medical directives (health care proxy) kit.
You can also visit www.putitinwriting.org for help with advance medical directives.
Heart Disease / Stroke
Heart disease and stroke treatment and recovery, risk assessment, prevention, exercise, nutrition, “Heart and Stroke A-Z Guide.”
A division of American Heart Association. Stroke care, stroke programs, recovery, risk assessment, prevention, exercise, nutrition, “Heart and Stroke Encyclopedia,” “Stroke Connection Magazine.”
Heart and Vascular Disease – National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
For patients and professionals, information on heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, obesity, exercise, and cholesterol. Information for African-Americans. Some publications available in Spanish.
Congenital Heart Disease Information and Resources
For professionals and consumers: information on child and adult congenital heart disease, links to Internet resources, book reviews, discussion.
Info and Resources for Checking Your Pulse
Resource for information aphasia. Find support groups. Learn about research, current news, and links.
Stroke prevention and treatment, rehabilitation, self-care and activities of daily living, current research, news releases, risk assessment, Be Stroke Smart newsletter.
Massachusetts Health Resources
Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine
Profiles of physicians licensed in Massachusetts. Public information includes press releases on disciplinary action and other topics of interest to the citizens of Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Health topics, publications, statistics and programs.
Medical Tests / Diagnostics
Includes a library of tests, brief information on diseases and medical conditions and the tests used for each, recommendations on preventive screening, news about technology that has an impact on diagnostic lab testing, and feature-length articles on topics related to laboratory testing.
Normal Laboratory Values – Merck Manual
Normal ranges for over 150 laboratory tests.
Tests and Procedures – MedlinePlus
Interactive tutorials on 18 common tests and diagnostic procedures and 40 surgeries and treatment procedures.
Men’s Health
American Academy of Family Physicians – Men’s Health
Information pamphlets on a range of health topics, including prostate cancer screening, hypertension, diet, lowering cholesterol, and lifestyle.
Bilingual health information site. Sponsors include the New York Academy of Medicine and the New York Public Library. Includes basic health information, and information on fertility, impotence, surgery, prostate, safer sex, stress, and testicles. Includes a Spanish list of resources.
Healthfinder – Just for You: Men
Links to full-text information on health topics of interest to men: prostate health, baldness, Viagra, sports medicine, heart disease, and more.
Part of the National Women’s Health Information Center. For men and to help women learn about the health concerns of the men in their lives. Links to full-text information on alcohol and drug use, prostate health, health risks, violence prevention. Information for special groups: minorities, college age men, older men.
Mental Health
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
“Facts for Families” series offers information on bedwetting, children and divorce, the child with autism, helping teens manage stress, the depressed child, and other child and adolescent mental health-related topics.
American Psychological Association (APA)
APA’s Help Center offers facts on mental health and disorders, work-related issues, teen violence, family relationships. Guides on choosing a therapist and what to expect from therapy.
American Psychiatric Association (APA)
APA’s Public Information section includes online versions of their popular booklets on topics such as Alzheimer’s, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, and schizophrenia.
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)
Information on mental disorders, medications, and research.
Minority Health
Information about diabetes for African Americans includes specific community program suggestions, diabetes risk test online, background information on diabetes and its prevalence in the African American community, and a resource list of related websites.
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
“Prevent High Blood Pressure” booklet online. One of a series of seven easy-to-read booklets on “Improving Cardiovascular Health in African Americans” available in their entirety on this website.
Office of Minority Health Resource Center
National resource and referral service on minority health issues established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The “Minority Groups” section under Health Links includes African American-related websites.
Nutrition and Diet
Fall River Healthy Meeting Guide
A helpful PDF for healthy meals for meetings
Developed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, this site offers information for
patients and health professionals on maintaining a healthy weight. Tools are provided to assess your risk for certain diseases affected by excess weight.
Nutrition news, fact sheets on popular topics, bibliography for the public, and links to
other nutrition-related sites.
Body mass index (BMI) is the measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women. Calculate your BMI and view the table to see if you are overweight.
Information on cutting calories and fat in your diet, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, and low cal/low fat recipes. A Calorie Calculator provides a quick analysis of the calorie content of the foods you eat.
Food and Nutrition Information Center – U.S. Department of Agriculture
Learn about food safety, food pyramid, dietary supplements, guidelines for healthy eating, and other important nutrition topics.
Mayo Clinic Food & Nutrition Center
Information on nutrition basics, supplements, weight management, and a virtual cookbook are all featured on this site. Sign up for online newsletter for weekly updates of information.
Nutrition Source – Harvard School of Public Health
This comprehensive site offers timely information on diet and nutrition for clinicians, health professionals, and the public. A useful section helps the user interpret nutrition
information in the news. Other sections answer common questions.
Oral Health
Massachusetts Office of Oral Health and the Oral Health Blog
The mission of the Office of Oral Health is to improve, promote and protect the oral health of Massachusetts residents.
Information and print outs to teach young children about oral health and caring for their teeth.
Physical Fitness Resources
Fall River Healthy Meeting Guide
A helpful PDF for healthy meals for meetings
Links and resources relating to the health benefits of biking.
Quackery and Health Fraud
National Council Against Health Fraud
Non-profit voluntary health agency focusing on health fraud, misinformation, and quackery as public health concerns. Read their position papers on acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, and other health issues.
Want information about whether those alternative therapies work? This site has information on health fraud, medical quackery, “new age” medicine and “alternative” and “complementary” medicine.
Spanish and Other Language Resources
Agency for Health Care Research and Quality
Site has publications in Spanish on topics such as how to prevent medical errors, angina, cataracts, pain control, questions to ask before surgery, depression, urinary incontinence, rehabilitation after a stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and others.
MEDLINEplus – National Library of Medicine
The Spanish language version of MedlinePlus, which includes most of the Health topics found in the original English version. Users can easily switch between the English and Spanish version of the information.
National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Publications on urologic and kidney diseases, diabetes, and digestive diseases.
Spanish language publications for consumers on topics including chemotherapy, tips on how to eat less fat, breast cancer, the importance of regular Pap tests, radiation therapy, and smoking cessation. (Scroll to bottom of page to access Spanish language publications.)
NOAH – New York Online Access to Health
Spanish language information and resources from organizations and governmental agencies. Aging, cancer, asthma, eye diseases, foot and ankle disorders, and pain are just a few of the topics covered.
Senior Health
Information, services and support for caregivers and families of victims of long-term, chronic and terminal conditions. Includes “Fact Sheets” in English, Spanish and Chinese on various conditions and issues.
FirstGov for Seniors Health Section
This site provides access to all government agencies that provide services for seniors. The idea is for seniors to be able to search for government information and programs that meet their needs without having to know the name of the agency responsible for that service.
Direct links to health information and issues of concern to senior citizens.
A free full-text geriatric care manual, this 3rd edition includes information ranging from health care funding and quality of life to injuries, diseases and care issues as they particularly affect seniors. Chapters on diseases typically cover symptoms and diagnostic tests, causes and treatment choices, and complications.
Smoking
Guide to quitting smoking.
Information and support for people who want to quit smoking.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health tobacco cessation and prevention program, offering information about quitting and issues with tobacco and smoking, especially at the local level.
Substance Abuse
Mission is to educate visitors through research-based, expert written content. They are dedicated to providing comprehensive information about addiction, treatment options and the path to full recovery.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
The Facility Locator is the most comprehensive database of treatment providers available but does not provide answers for many of the practical questions that individuals and families have.
Surgery
Public information section offers guidelines on choosing a qualified surgeon.
Tests and Procedures – MEDLINEplus
Interactive tutorials on 18 common tests and diagnostic procedures and 40 surgeries and treatment procedures.
Information with graphics on common medical procedures, including cataract removal, carpal tunnel release, hernia repair, mastectomy, and more. Once free, this site now charges $5.00 to view a single procedure or $100 for a one-year membership with unlimited access.
Traveler’s Health
International travelers section gives vaccination requirements, warnings of disease outbreaks in countries, health hazards for specific countries, and other pertinent information.
Women’s Health
Ask NOAH About: Women’s Health
Sponsors include The City University of New York, The New York Academy of Medicine, and The New York Public Library. Contains basic health information for women about normal conditions, such as puberty, sexuality, pregnancy, birth control/contraception, and menopause. Also contains information about abnormal conditions, such as eating disorders, endometriosis, menstruation problems and concerns, osteoporosis, sexually transmitted diseases, and urinary tract infections.
The Office on Women’s Health in the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is the government’s champion and focal point for women’s health issues, and works to redress inequities in research, health care services, and education that have historically placed the health of women at risk. Contains links to National Centers of Excellence in Women’s Health, National Community Centers of Excellence in Women’s Health, minority women’s health, girl and adolescent health, older women’s health, reproductive health, violence against women, HIV/AIDS in women, breast health, environmental health, international health, and much more.
From the University of Wisconsin, links to websites devoted to women’s health, including comprehensive resources and specific topics, such as breast cancer, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis.
Resolve – the National Infertility Association
General information on infertility, treatments, how to find a specialist, information on state chapters, and links to organizations.
Disabilities Links