Health and Wellness
Compiled by: Jane Ellen Innes
Last updated December 2025
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:
- 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 to promote reliable health, wellness, and medical information.
- 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 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, and 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
- Men's Health - Multiple topic-specific editions
- Women's Health - Multiple topic-specific editions
- Health & Fitness - Multiple topic-specific editions
- The Story of Medicine
Increase your Health Literacy Skills
Digitallearn.org Resources
MyHealthfinder is a website that shares evidence-based health information.
Healthy Family Habits was created by the National Center for Families Learning.
Getting Health Insurance
Oregon Health Authority (healthcare marketplace)
Online Resources
MedlinePlus is a consumer health database that provides extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on 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 provides patient information at three reading levels: child, teen, and parent. Includes lesson plans and programs for teachers and early childhood educators.
Common Medical Abbreviations - This list includes 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.