… find reliable health information for my patients and family?

Answer

Use MedlinePlus from the National Library of Medicine.

Introduction

It is difficult to find credible health information on the Internet. Most searches for a topic from a search engine result in millions of hits. We recommend that you start your search at a site that has been developed to bring you only the most reliable information. Health professionals and consumers alike can depend on it for information that is authoritative and up-to-date. MedlinePlus has extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over 650 diseases and conditions plus much, much more.

Step-By-Step

  1. Type in medlineplus.gov into the address bar of your browser and hit enter or click the go button in your browser. This site is free and accessible from any computer with Internet access.
  2. On the MedlinePlus Home page, type in a name of a drug or medical condition in the search box and click Search MedlinePlus or click on the Health Topics, Drug Information, Dictionary or Medical Encyclopedia categories and search for a disease or condition by first letter.

Resources

  • If you have any questions about using MedlinePlus, there is an online tour to take that describes how to use the features of MedlinePlus. There is also a list of FAQs. Both the tour and the FAQs can be found by clicking on the About MedlinePlus tab at the top right-hand corner of the MedlinePlus home page.

Help

For additional information about finding information on MedlinePlus contact Kelly Near at 434-924-1607 or kkn3u@virginia.edu.