Compiled by: Jane Ellen Innes

Last updated June 2025

Please be aware,  Jefferson County Library District does not provide medical advice, nor are the materials we provide a substitute for a professional medical opinion.

Evaluating Information

Check out these resources for help in evaluating online health information:

1. Medical Library Association (MLA) User's Guide. This guide to evaluating online health information is supported by the MLA - the organization of librarians whose primary purpose is promoting reliable health, wellness, and medical information.
2. Medline Plus - Evaluating Health Information. This National Library of Medicine page points you to resources and includes a link to the MedlinePlus tutorial on evaluating health information online.  MedlinePlus is a consumer health database that has extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over hundreds of diseases and conditions. There are also lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and dictionaries, health information in Spanish, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials.

At the Library

Medicine and Health books begin at 610, in the non-fiction section of the Library.

Databases

Health & Medicine - Find reliable information on fitness, pregnancy, nutrition, and other health topics.

Health & Wellness - Health-focused magazines, reference, video.

Nursing & Allied Health - Articles on direct patient care, healthcare administration.

Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine - Articles on treatment techniques, experimental research.

Magazines available from Libby/Overdrive

1. Men's Health - Multiple topic-specific editions
2. Women's Health - Multiple topic-specific editions
3. Health & Fitness - Multiple topic-specific editions
4. The Story of Medicine

Increase your Health Literacy Skills

Digitallearn.org

• Online Health Information
• Using Healthcare.gov to Enroll in Health Insurance
• Using MyHealthfinder for Preventive Care

MyHealthfinder content is a website that shares evidence-based health information.

Healthy Family Habits created by the National Center for Families Learning.

Online Resources

MedlinePlus - MedlinePlus is a consumer health database that has extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over hundreds of diseases and conditions. There are also lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and dictionaries, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials.  En Español.

Mayo Clinic Patient Care and Health Information - Patient-level information from the Mayo Clinic on diseases and conditions, symptoms, tests and procedures, and drugs and supplements.

KidsHealth - KidsHealth contains patient information at the child, teen, and parent reading levels. Includes lesson plans and programs for teachers and early childhood educators.

Common Medical Abbreviations - This is a list of some common abbreviations and acronyms from Medline Plus.

Medical Dictionary - From MedicinNet.com. Also includes health news, images, conditions symptom checker and more.

Medical Encyclopedia - Includes over 4,000 articles about diseases, tests, symptoms, injuries, and surgeries.

What Did My Doctor Say? - Translates medical terms into plain language.