Information Gold Mine for Consumer Health Information

  • National Library of Medicine (NLM) MedlinePlus. Provides an excellent source of consumer health information.
    Features
    Links to information on over 750 topics on conditions, diseases, and wellness
    Prescription and nonprescription drug information
    Medical encyclopedia
    Medical dictionary
    Health news
    Health directories
    Health information in over 40 languages

Children's hospitals

  • National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI): Hospital Profiles. Offers an online directory of children's hospitals searchable by name, state, pediatric specialty, care delivery program, community outreach program, camps for children with special health care needs, and current research programs.
  • National Library of Medicine: Find a Hospital. Search by hospital name, city, zip code, hospital specialty, or hospital services to find information on over 6,000 hospitals in the United States.

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Services

  • Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA): Provider Directory. Search by city, state, zip code, or specialty for health professionals who understand the unique health concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons.
  • GLBT National Help Center: Local Resources. Search by zip code to find local services for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community.

Genetics services

  • Ask the Geneticist: Roadmap to Genetic Services. Describes how to find genetic services.
  • National Newborn Screening and Genetics Resource Center (NNSGRC): State Map. Provides contact information for each state's newborn screening program.
  • National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC): Find a Genetic Counselor. Search by name, institution, city, state, zip code, or area of specialty to locate a genetic counseling service.
  • Also see MedlinePlus and the MCH Library resource brief Genetics.

Health directories

  • National Library of Medicine (NLM): Health Hotlines. Comprises an online database of toll-free telephone numbers of health-related organizations. Includes information on services and publications in Spanish.
  • National Health Information Center: Toll-Free Numbers for Health Information. Presents toll-free numbers for organizations that provide health-related information, education, and support.
  • Also see MedlinePlus and the MCH Organizations Database.

Health insurance

  • Families USA: Program Locator. Search by state to find a health insurance assistance program to assist consumers with questions and problems concerning Medicaid, Medicare, private health insurance, or access to care for the uninsured.
  • Family Voices: Family to Family Health Information Centers (F2F HICs). Links to state F2F HICs (where available) that provide information to families about the medical home concept, health insurance availability, early screening and intervention, appropriate transition services for youth, and other health topics concerning children and adolescents with special health care needs.
  • Insure Kids Now. Contains links to each state's child and adolescent health insurance program website. Available in English and Spanish. Telephone: (877) 543-7669(KIDS-NOW).
  • Medicaid Reference Desk. Explains Medicaid in basic terms for people with cognitive disabilities, family members, and advocates. Provides information about what is available through each state Medicaid plan and waivers and where to apply for services. Each Medicaid service is described in ordinary language, and visitors can choose to hear the information rather than read it.
  • Also see the MCH Library knowledge paths, Health Insurance and Access to Care for Children and Adolescents and Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) Services in Medicaid.

Hearing and speech services

  • American Academy of Audiology: Find an Audiologist. Search by city, state, or zip code to find an audiologist.
  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA): Online Directory of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Programs. Search by city, state, zip code, patient age, or language of practitioner to find audiologists and speech-language pathologists who are ASHA-certified.

Home health care and hospice care

  • HospiceDirectory.org. Search by state or territory, county, city, zip code, or hospice name to find contact information for hospice care in your area.
  • National Association for Home Care: Home Care/Hospice Agency Locator. Search by city, state, or zip code to find home health care and hospice agencies. Includes guides about how to choose a home health care provider and a hospice.
  • Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) Locations. Select a state and click on Find a Local Agency to find an evidence-based nurse home visiting program working to improve the health, well-being, and self-sufficiency of low-income, first-time parents and their children. NFP sites are currently located in 26 states.
  • Visiting Nurses Association of America (VNAA): Find a VNA. Search by city, state, or zip code to find a VNA that offers home health care for individuals of all ages.

Nutrition services

  • American Dietetic Association (ADA): Find a Nutrition Professional. Offers contact information for registered dietitians and registered dietetic technicians who are ADA members. The directory is searchable by city, state, zip code, type of service, or area of expertise.
  • International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA): Find a Lactation Consultant. Search by name, city, state, or zip code to find board-certified lactation consultants who are ILCA members.
  • See GovBenefits.gov to find nutrition assistance programs.
  • Also see MedlinePlus, the MCH Library knowledge paths, Nutrition in Children and Adolescents and Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents, and the resource brief, Breastfeeding.

Oral health/dental care

  • Academy of General Dentistry (AGD): Find an AGD Dentist. Search by name, city, state, or zip code to find dentists who are AGD members.
  • American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD): Find a Pediatric Dentist. Search by zip code to find pediatric dentists who are AAPD members.
  • American Academy of Periodontology (AAP): Find a Periodontist. Search by city, state, zip code, or area code to find periodontists who are AAP members.
  • American Association of Orthodontists (AAO): Orthodontist Locator. Search by name, city, state, or zip code to find an AAO member orthodontist.
  • American Dental Association (ADA): Find a Dentist. Search by name, city, state, zip code, or area of specialty to find an ADA member dentist.
  • National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR): Finding Dental Care. Offers suggestions for finding low-cost oral health care. Includes contact information for U.S. dental schools that have clinics where dental students can get experience while offering low-cost care.
  • Also see MedlinePlus and the MCH Library knowledge path Oral Health and Pregnant Women, Infants, Children, and Adolescents.

Physical therapy

  • American Physical Therapy Association (APTA): Find a Physical Therapist. Search by zip code or area of expertise to find a physical therapist who is an APTA member.

Poison control centers

  • American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC): Find Local Poison Centers. Presents a list of poison control centers by state. Telephone for a poisoning emergency: (800) 222-1222.