Research Guides: Consumer Health: Health Info

How to Search in MedlinePlus

A Quick Guide: How to Search in MedlinePlus
This guide is designed to walk you through the topic of searching in MedlinePlus. MedlinePlus is a free, publicly available, and trustworthy source of health information from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health. It is designed for consumers, not medical professionals. Any consumer interested in increasing their health literacy should learn to search in MedlinePlus for answers to their health questions.

Librarian's Favorite Consumer Health Web Sites

Healthfinder: Health Library
Developed by the Dept. of Health and Human Service, this site provides links to government and nonprofit health and human services information on the Internet.
MEDLINEplus
Produced by the National Library of Medicine, this site provides information about specific diseases and conditions from the National Institutes of Health, other government agencies, health organizations and academic medical centers. Also includes a medical dictionary, a medical encyclopedia, and lists of hospitals and physicians. Available in multiple languages.
Merck Manual
A series of healthcare books for medical professionals and consumers. The Online Medical Library is updated periodically with new information, and contains photographs, and audio and video material not present in the print versions.
PubMed (MEDLINE)
PubMed comprises more than 24 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.
Assessing and Improving Health in Wisconsin
Wisconsin residents can now consult an online tool to learn exactly what their local communities are doing to improve health.
Kids Heath
Kids Health explains health related questions and topics for parents, teens, kids, and educators in plain language. All articles are medically reviewed by physicians at Nemours Children's Health System.

General Health Sites

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
An agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC is recognized as the lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people - at home and abroad. Contents include Health Topics A-Z, In the News, and Data and Statistics.
Consumer Health Complete (via BadgerLink Resources)
Consumer Health Complete (CHC) is a comprehensive resource for consumer-oriented health content. CHC provides full text for more than 200 reference books and encyclopedias, as well as images, videos, and diagrams covering areas of health and wellness from mainstream medicine to the many perspectives of complementary, holistic and integrated medicine.
To use, scroll or search on the BadgerLink page.
Mayo Clinic
Provides useful and up-to-date information and tools that reflect the expertise and standard of excellence of the Mayo Clinic from Drugs to Diseases to Conditions, and more. Produced by a team of health professionals and Web designers.
Senior Health (MEDLINEplus)
This website is for older adults and was developed by the National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine, both part of the National Institutes of Health.
Health Topics A-Z
The National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, has A-Z health topics on everything from natural supplements to chronic diseases.
Cleveland Clinic Health Library
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center that provides clinical and hospital care and is a leader in research, education, and health information; their Health Library can be searched and browsed by several categories for patients including Diseases & Conditions, Treatments, Diagnostics & Testing, among others.

Specific Health Interests

MedlinePlus: Genetics
From the National Library of Medicine, this site provides consumer-friendly information about the effects of genetic variations on human health.
Cancer.gov
Maintained by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), this site provides web-based information on cancer and clinical trials.
OncoLink
OncoLink (cancer info) is the first multimedia oncology information resource placed on the Internet. OncoLink's mission is consistent with that of the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, and the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania which has sanctioned its use and development
Skin Cancer Guidelines
The Skin Cancer Foundation has set the standard for educating the public and the medical profession about skin cancer, its prevention by means of sun protection, the need for early detection, and prompt, effective treatment.
American Sexual Health Association
Up to date and accurate information on sexual health, from a highly-regarded non-profit organization.

Please note the information on this site assumes a gender binary and is not particularly trans-inclusive.
Planned Parenthood Sexual Health Topic Index
Planned Parenthood is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sexual and reproductive health. The site strives for clinical accuracy and LGBTQ+ friendly information.
The Center of Excellence for Transgender Health
Website of the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health at the University of California-San Francisco. Links to online trainings, factsheets, and many other useful resources for the specific health needs of trans folks.

COVID-19 Information

WHO Advice for the Public: Covid-19
This thorough guide from the World Health Organization (WHO) includes advice and information on everything from masks and vaccines to virus transmission and travel.
MedlinePlus: Covid-19
This overview of Covid-19 links to lots of trustworthy articles on many different Covid-19 topics.
Covid-19 Vaccine Toolkit
Have questions about Covid-19 vaccines? This toolkit includes a Question & Answer section where you can find out everything you've been wondering.
Facts About COVID-19 Vaccines from the FDA
This page from the FDA addresses common concerns and questions about Covid-19 vaccines in the form of a list of facts. Each has a straightforward explanation and links to supporting resources.

For Wisconsin Residents

BadgerLink is available to all Wisconsin Residents. Health information is available through EBSCOhost in BadgerLink and provides access to Alt HealthWatch, Consumer Health Complete, Health Source, LexiPALS Drug Guide and other resources.

When you visit BadgerLink to browse their health resources make sure you have indicated the subject "Health" in order to get only health databases.

For Wisconsin residents only or Wisconsin specific information.

Safety

MedlinePlus: Poisoning, Toxicology, Environmental Health
Consumer information in the areas of poisoning, toxicology and environmental health.
Poison Control Center
The American Association of Poison Control Centers works to support the nation's 60 poison centers in the valuable work they do.
United States Consumer Product Safety Commission
CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually.

Anatomy

Human Body & Mind (BBC Science & Technology)
*This is an archived website and is no longer updated.* Build a skeleton, stretch some muscles and organise the organs in our interactive body. Site includes much much more.
MedlinePlus.gov (Anatomy Videos)
You can use MedlinePlus to learn about the latest treatments, look up information on a drug or supplement, find out the meanings of words, or view medical videos or illustrations. Produced by the National Library of Medicine.
Online Human Being (Merriam Webster Visual Dictionary)
Visualizations of the human body's muscular, skeletal, respiratory, circulation, and many other systems.

Dictionaries and Pronunciation Guides

Dictionary of Cancer terms
The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms, a resource with more than 6,000 terms related to cancer and medicine.
MedTerms: MedicineNet.com
Medical dictionary definitions of popular medical terms.
Understanding Medical Words
Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine

Library Research Guides - University of Wisconsin Ebling Library

Consumer Health : Health Info