Module 3: Health

UM Libraries Databases

• Academic Search Complete Links to an external site. is multi-disciplinary database providing information for nearly every area of academic study. Video tutorials (Links to an external site.)
• AMED Links to an external site. (Allied and Complementary Medicine Database) provides information about alternative treatments in medicine. Many of the journals included in AMED are not included in other medical databases, such as PubMed and Embase.
• BioMed Central  (Links to an external site.)is an STM (Science Technology and Medicine) publisher of peer –reviewed open access journals. Support Knowledge Base (Links to an external site.)
• EMBASE (Links to an external site.) includes the latest international biomedical and pharmaceutical research. Video tutorial (Links to an external site.)
• POPLINE (Links to an external site.) is the world's largest database on reproductive health. Search Tips (Links to an external site.)
• PubMed Links to an external site. comprised of citations for biomedical literature from Medline Links to an external site., life science journals, and online books. Video tutorials (Links to an external site.)
  
• ScienceDirect (Links to an external site.) contains electronic book and journal titles covering the fields of science, technology and medicine. Video tutorials (Links to an external site.) 

For more databases, click here Links to an external site.or go to (click See all categories..., then Health and Medicine)

Federal Web Sites

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Links to an external site.) for health statistics, travelers' health guides, information on diseases, and health topics. 
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (Links to an external site.) homepage for background and regulatory information about treatments, food and cosmetics, and radiological health.
• Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) (Links to an external site.) for dietary guidance information for health or disease control.
• US Preventive Services Task Force (Links to an external site.) for recommendations from an independent group of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine.
• Healthfinder.gov (Links to an external site.) for consumer health information and tools.
• USA.gov (Links to an external site.) for links to more government health information.            

For more health web sites, click here Links to an external site..

Evaluating medical/health information on the free Internet:

• MedlinePlus Evaluating Internet Health Information (Links to an external site.) Video tutorial (National Library of Medicine)
• How to Find Good Information Online (Links to an external site.) Podcast (AHRQ: Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research)

Health and Medical Statistics

To find statistics, click here Links to an external site..

Keep in mind that sources used to compile health and medical data include:

• Clinical studies - prospective and retrospective
• Medical literature (journals)
• Hospital discharge records (National Hospital Discharge Survey)
• Government records showing amounts spent on Medicare and Medicaid
• Insurance company records
• Censuses
• Death investigations by coroners and medical examiners
• Surveillance by public health departments and universities
• Reports from clinics, hospitals, doctors, and other healthcare practitioners by the Centers for Disease Control and other health-related agencies
• Sampling and surveys by the National Center for Health Statistics and other agencies
• Disease registries
• Interviews

Questions? 

For assistance developing your research strategies, or finding resources for your topic, or any other questions, please contact public health specialists:

Nedelina Tchangalova, nedelina@umd.edu (UMD Libraries, College Park). Profile Links to an external site. 

Alex Carroll, ajcarrol@umd.edu (UMD Libraries, College Park). Profile Links to an external site.

Eileen Harrington, eharring@umd.edu (Priddy Library, Shady Grove Library). Profile Links to an external site.