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Consumer Health Resources / 'Healthier U': Consumer Health

Consumer health info for all, no sign ups, no committments

Free Consumer Health Links

The purpose of these resources is that they are free to all. No fees. There may be a sign-up to go deeper into the content of some pages, but it should be short and with minimal info. Many websites also optimize to mobile devices. Note: requests from outside entities to add their webpage to our resources may be denied (especially if the requesting entity has a for-profit component).

Aging & Mental Health

  • Mental Health Challenges for Aging Americans, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, School of Nursing and Health Studies: This resource shares how to understand depression among aging Americans, including the factors that complicate diagnosis, and how to recognize and respond to depression among older adults.

Breast Feeding Mothers

 
The LactMed® database contains information on drugs and other chemicals to which breastfeeding mothers may be exposed. It includes information on the levels of such substances in breast milk and infant blood, and the possible adverse effects in the nursing infant. Suggested therapeutic alternatives to those drugs are provided, where appropriate. All data are derived from the scientific literature and fully referenced. A peer review panel reviews the data to assure scientific validity and currency.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501922/

Cancer Information

Clinical Trials

Comparing Pricing, Doctors & Hospitals

  • FairHealth Consumer (gives costs on specific procedures) https://www.fairhealthconsumer.org/. From their website: FAIR Health's mission is to help you understand your healthcare costs and health coverage and to bring transparency to healthcare costs and insurance. We are an independent, national nonprofit organization known for providing fair and neutral information to all those we serve, including consumers like you. We are able to provide reliable information about healthcare costs because each year health insurers around the country send us over a billion healthcare bills, which are added to FAIR Health's database of more than 29 billion claims. We use information from those claims to estimate what providers charge, and what insurers pay, for providing healthcare to patients all across the country. We make this information available to consumers, researchers, businesses and many other users.
  • Healthcare.gov https://www.healthcare.gov/find-provider-information/. How to find health care provider Information
  • Doctors and other care providers: Compare the performance of physicians and other health professionals near you.
  • Hospitals: Compare hospitals near you based on a large variety of quality-of-care measures. Includes information on some Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers.
  • Nursing homes: Compare nursing homes based on quality, staffing, health inspection reports, and more.
  • Home health agencies: Compare the quality of care provided by home health agencies.
  • Dialysis facilities: Compare the quality of care in dialysis facilities near you.
  • Long-Term Care Hospitals: Compare the quality of care in long-term care hospitals.
  • Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities: Compare the quality of care in inpatient rehabilitation facilities.
  • Hospice Agencies: Compare the quality of care given by hospices near you.
  • HospitalInspections.org--Association of Health Care Journalists (listings by state) http://www.hospitalinspections.org
  • US News and World Report https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals. Find the best hospital for you, by zip code

Consumer Health Information & Medical News

Family Health Information

Federal Government Resources

Male Menopause

“Understanding the Male Menopause and Mental Health”
Male menopause can be a difficult time for older men, with symptoms beginning to affect their well-being; and with the COVID-19 pandemic halting normal life, it can have an even bigger impact on their mental health. 
Our guide covers information on:
•    Understanding "male menopause" - separating facts from fiction, and why it can be misleading (and harmful) to group the different changes and conditions affecting men as they age under this label.
•    The physical and emotional changes associated with male menopause why men should always seek a proper medical diagnosis for said symptoms.
•    The effect on men’s mental wellbeing - from memory loss and lowered libido to secondary effects like fatigue, insomnia, and irrationality - and their impact on daily life.
•    Helpful tips and advice for managing symptoms, lifestyle changes and treatments that can help, and other useful information.
Feel free to review the full version of the guide here: https://www.optimale.co.uk/trt/trt-manual/male-menopause-mental-health-guide/

MedlinePlus Resources

Nationally Known Clinics

NC Live

NC LIVE is North Carolina’s statewide library cooperative, supporting 200+ public and academic libraries across North Carolina. Since its founding in 1997, NC LIVE has saved the state millions through innovation and collaborative efforts.

https://www.nclive.org/

Patients and Self Learning Websites

  • Patients like me:  https://www.patientslikeme.com/.  If you have a disease or condition, patients with that disease share information on their lives, support groups or online support for families here.

Patient Safety

Smart Phone Apps

  • HerbList (free--available in the Apple Store & Google Play Store) from the National Library of Medicine

Learn about herbs and botanicals that are used in complementary and integrative health approaches with the free HerbList app from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). For each herb or botanical, the app includes an identifying picture, common names, information on what the science says, potential side effects and cautions, and resources for more information. Additional features include the ability to mark favorite herbs for quick recall and offline accessibility. From the National Institutes of Health’s NCCIH, the HerbList app offers trusted, credible information.  App Store OR Google Store​