Resources

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Consumer Health Education/Information Resources:

Below are various private and governmental health resources for consumers that may be of use to you and your family.

Staying Healthy

On the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality’s Consumers & Patients page, the publication entitled The Pocket Guide to Staying Healthy at 50+ has information on checkups, immunizations and adopting healthy habits for people over 50. HRSA’s publication Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans provides information for families and children about how to stay healthy and active.

Promoting Organ Donation

You can give the Gift of Life by becoming an organ donor. More than 75,000 Americans are waiting for an organ transplant because too few of us are willing to be organ and tissue donors. HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson has launched an Organ Donor initiative to promote organ donation and encourage people to make an informed decision about organ donation.

Promoting Health Careers

If you are interested in a health profession, HRSA’s publication entitled The Allied Health Professions: Opportunities for Minority Students — A Career Guidebook, 2000 may be helpful to you. This guidebook introduces students to allied health careers and provides information for those interested in pursuing such a career.

HRSA’s Kids Into Health Careers campaign has information about encouraging children and young adults to pursue a rewarding career in the health care field. Financial aid information is also included.

Caring for People with HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS continues to be a major health problem facing us all. HRSA provides HIV/AIDS information for clinicians who care for people living with HIV/AIDS. HRSA’s Ryan White CARE Act program developed A Guide to the Clinical Care of Women with HIV.

Raising Healthy Children

To help parents raise healthy children, the HRSA-supported Bright Futures initiative provides expert advice and guidelines on practical ways to supervise the health of infants, children and adolescents ages 0-21. Bright Futures includes information on nutrition, oral health, mental health, physical activity and healthy families.

Preventing School Violence

Violence in our schools is a serious problem and bullying behavior is part of the problem. HRSA has created a “Lend A Hand – Stop Bullying Now” campaign with a Web site specifically designed for children to help educate them, their parents, and teachers about recognizing and understanding what bullying is and how to stop it. Visit our Web site at https://www.stopbullying.gov and meet all the great Webisode cartoon characters and learn how to stop bullying.

Improving Mental Health

Information on improving the mental health of children, young people and their families is available from the HRSA funded Center for School Mental Health Assistance at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Center for Mental Health in Schools at the University of California in Los Angeles.

Prenatal and Newborn Care

Order your free Health Diary: Myself, My Baby from HRSA Information Center. It contains information on fetal and child development, prenatal and newborn care and an immunization table. There is also a section where you can record and track your prenatal and pediatric appointments.

Diabetes

HRSA’s Bureau of Primary Health Care has developed the Lower Extremity Amputation Prevention Program also known as the LEAP Program. Learn more about the steps you can take to reduce your risk of lower extremity amputation.

Infant, Children, Adolescents and Family Health Promotion

Bright Futures (http://brightfutures.aap.org/web/), initiated by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) over a decade ago, is a philosophy and approach that is dedicated to the principle that every child deserves to be healthy, and that optimal health involves a trusting relationship between the health professional, the child, the family, and the community. As part of this initiative, Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents was developed to provide comprehensive health supervision guidelines, including recommendations on immunizations, routine health screenings, and anticipatory guidance. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the MCHB are committed to the multidisciplinary and multicultural nature of the Bright Futures initiative.

FirstGov

FirstGov is the official government gateway to Federal, state, local, and tribal information, programs, funding, news releases, phone directories and more.

Health Information

Healthfinder is a free guide to reliable health information where you can select online publications, clearinghouses, databases, web sites, support and self-help groups, as well as other government agencies and not-for-profit organizations.

healthfinder® A guide to consumer health information. Access the health library and find out information about health care providers in your area, including doctors, dentists, health insurance, nursing homes and hospitals.

Medline Plus
Both health professionals and consumers can depend on Medline Plus for accurate, current, medical information. This service provides access to extensive information about specific diseases and conditions, access to the MEDLINE database of medical journal articles, and links to consumer health information from the National Institutes of Health, dictionaries, lists of hospitals and physicians, health information in Spanish and other languages, and clinical trials.

National Women’s Health Information Center Health_Literacy (NWHIC)
A one-stop gateway for women’s health resources and materials for consumers and professionals. Health_LiteracyNLM’s Databases and Electronic Information Sources

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) provides a wide variety of resources related to the biomedical and health sciences, both past and present. Databases and information sources include: MEDLINEplus , TOXNET , and HIV/AIDS Resources.

Social Security Administration

SSA’s benefit programs include: Retirement, Disability, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, Survivors benefits. The Social Security Online website includes

Frequently Asked Questions about Social Security.

For more info, see Browse Topic Social Security

Office of the Surgeon General

Explains what the surgeon general does, text of speeches, and provides a way to write to the Surgeon General.

Organ Donors
Provides information and resources on organ donation and transplantation issues.

www.health.gov

Portal to federal and state health web sites. Includes links to healthfinder® , Healthy People 2010 and more.

Health Literacy

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated or medically vulnerable. HRSA’s health literacy activities strive to educate and increase awareness about the need to improve health literacy among health care providers and patients. Understanding health information and communicating well with your health care providers will help assure a healthier tomorrow. Visit HRSA’s Health Literacy Web for more information.

AIDS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the National Prevention Information Network which provides information and resources on HIV disease and treatment. They can be reached toll free at 1-800-458-5231. The HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Service which is sponsored by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, provides up to date HIV/AIDS treatment information and referrals including clinical trials. They can be reached toll free at 1-800-448-0440.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, REACH (Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health) develops and tests new ways to help families manage the daily activities and stress of caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Closing the Health Gap

HHS’s national campaign Closing the Health Gap offers information about bringing the best health information to African American communities.

Drug Abuse

The National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, produced a very informative web page, Mind Over Matter Index, which explains to children in grades 5-9 the effects of drug abuse on the body and brain.

Elderly

The Administration on Aging provides health information, elder care service locator, resource directory, safety tips, hotline for legal advice and much more for older people.

Food Safety

The Food and Drug Administration has good advice and information on a variety of consumer issues including food safety, foodborne illness, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and more. Visit the FDA Consumer Advice web page.

Medicare and Medicaid

Visit HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to learn about how these programs work and the services they provide.

Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Should you need or want information or assistance for a mental health or substance abuse problem, HHS’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) can help.

Safer Health Care

Each year its estimated that between 44,000 and 98,000 people die in U.S. hospitals because of lapses in patient safety. A Task Force, led by the Agency for Health Care Quality and Research, has developed Five Steps to Safer Health Care to help patients avoid medical errors and misunderstandings. They are:

Speak up if you have questions.
Keep a list of all medicines you take.
Make sure you get the results of any test or procedure.
Talk with your doctor and health care team about your options if you need hospital care.
Make sure you understand what will happen if you need surgery. Cessation — The latest information to help people quit smoking, and to help health care professionals treat tobacco use and dependence.

What’s New

You Can Quit Smoking Now — www.smokefree.gov

HHS National Quitline Number (1-800-QUITNOW)

You Can Quit Smoking—Consumer Packet

Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence—Clincian’s Packet

Helping Smokers Quit: A Guide for Nurses (PDF file, 109 KB)

Quitting Helps You Heal Faster—Hospital Card (PDF file, 37 KB, Text Version)
Dejar de fumar le ayuda a sanar más rápido (PDF file, 38 KB, Text Version)

Consumer Materials

5-Day Countdown (PDF file, 50 KB; Text Version)

Frequently Asked Questions about Quitting Smoking (PDF File, 20 KB; Text Version)
Preguntas frecuentes acerca de como dejar el cigarillo (PDF file, 24 KB; Text Version)

Good Information for Smokers—Easy to Read Booklet (PDF file, 111 KB; Text Version)
Buena información fara fumadores (PDF file, 115 KB; Text Version) You Can Quit Smoking—Pocket Card (PDF file, 39 KB; Text Version)
Usted puede parar de fumar (PDF file, 41 KB; Text Version)

You Can Quit Smoking: Consumer Guide (PDF File, 280 KB; Text Version)
Usted puede dejar de fumar: Guía del consumidor (PDF File, 278 KB; Text Version)

Resources

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