Consumer Health Resources in the Library

REFERENCE ASSISTANCE

The Information Services Department staff is available during Reference Desk hours (8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. M-F) to assist walk-in patrons who have consumer health information questions. Call in questions, other than ready reference, are referred to Healthnet.

CONSUMER HEALTH DATABASES

There are two medical databases that are useful in locating information written for consumers.

The Medlineplus (http://www.medlineplus.gov) database, published by the National Library of Medicine especially for health consumers, includes hyperlinks to selected, authoritative consumer health websites that focus on diseases and disorders, their prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and wellness. The database also includes a medical dictionary, medical encyclopedia, hyperlinks to health news resources, drug information, and a number of interactive tutorials and surgery videos. Under "Databases" on the Library homepage, select "Medlineplus".

The Health and Wellness Resource Center (HWRC) offers medical and health information from professional medical journals, consumer health reference books, and consumer newsletters and pamphlets. It also includes a medical encyclopedia, a medical dictionary, a section on alternative medicine, a drug and herb finder, a directory of health organizations, information on current medical news, and health assessment tools. Much of the information is available full-text.

The HWRC may be accessed in the Library from the computers located in the Reference area on the main floor. Under "Databases" on the Library homepage, select "Health and Wellness Resource Center". Connecticut residents may also access the database from home by connecting to http://www.iconn.org. You must have a valid Connecticut public library card to access the Health and Wellness Resource Center from home.

SEARCHING MEDLINE

MEDLINE, the National Library of Medicine's computer index of medical journal articles, available at no charge on the Internet, may be accessed from any of the workstations in the library. If you are unfamiliar with searching MEDLINE, ask the reference librarian for assistance.

The University of Florida Health Sciences Center publishes an online tutorial for searching MEDLINE via the PubMed database at http://www.library.health.ufl.edu/PubMed/PubMed2/index.html .

Much of the information in MEDLINE is technical, although several consumer-oriented publications are indexed.

CONSUMER HEALTH REFERENCE COLLECTION

Reference books that may be helpful in answering many different types of consumer health questions are shelved in the Reference section located near the Service Desk. Some of these books, such as "The Merck Manual of Medical Information: Home Edition," "The American Medical Association Complete Medical Encyclopedia," and "The American Medical Association Family Medical Guide," were written specifically for health consumers. Many other books in the same subject area may also be useful, but may use technical language.

INTERNET RESOURCES

Healthnet: Connecticut Consumer Health Information Network has evaluated many consumer health web sites that may be helpful in answering specific types of questions. To get you started in exploring the Internet for answers to your health questions, take a look at Healthnet's recommended Internet resources.

NEWSLETTERS

The library subscribes to several newsletters written specifically for consumers. These newsletters have informative essays on specific diseases, medical conditions, health care issues, and other topics of interest to consumers. These newsletters may be found in the journal stacks on the main floor of the library.

Titles include: FDA Consumer; Harvard Health Letter; Harvard Women's Health Watch; Health; HealthFacts; Mayo Clinic Health Letter; and Nutrition Action Health Letter.

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Lyman Maynard Stowe Library at the University of Connecticut Health Center
Farmington, Connecticut
The URL for this page is: http://library.uchc.edu/departm/hnet/conpat.html
Last Updated: November 7, 2005