MedlinePlus.gov is a government website that pulls together authoritative information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Health Institute (NHI), and other government and health-related agencies. MedlinePlus was first introduced in October 1998 as a service for both consumers and professionals. Within a short time, MedlinePlus contributed to the NHI becoming the second most heavily trafficked site in the Federal Government. MedlinePlus now covers over 700 health topics and receives approximately 70 million hits each year.
The site is divided into seven main topics, beginning with Health Topics. This section allows consumers and professionals alike to search for any health topic alphabetically or by body location. Other search fields in this section include disorders and conditions, diagnosis and therapy, demographic groups, and health and wellness. Virtually any health topic can be found in this section, from sexual health to gum disease to gastroenteritis.
Drugs, Supplements, and Herbal Information gives visitors the opportunity to find information on over-the-counter and prescription medicine, along with herbs and supplements. The Medical Encyclopedia consists of 4,000 articles on various maladies, tests, and treatments, most of which include medical photographs and illustrations. The Medical Dictionary, which is linked to Merriam-Webster, allows visitors to look up medical terms, even if they are unsure of the spelling. The News section is an archive of health-related articles from Reuters Health and HealthDay. Visitors can search articles chronologically or by topic. Directories allow visitors to search for doctors, dentists, pediatricians, specialists, hospitals, and more. Finally, the section titled Other Resources is devoted to miscellaneous topics.
In addition to the seven main categories outlined above, MedlinePlus.gov has excellent tools and services, some of which are discussed in detail below.
Go Local
Go Local is a relatively new community-based service. Go Local provides information on health services, including hospitals, support groups, nursing homes, physicians, and specialists in local geographic areas. There are currently nineteen Go Local participants with more to be released in the near future.
Interactive Health Tutorials
This section consists of more than 150 health topics. An interactive tutorial with animated graphics and modules are devoted to each of these topics. The feel of these modules is similar to that which is experienced in a college classroom, with the added benefit of the “student” having complete control over the pace of the lesson (you can pause to take your time on a particular slide or go back to previous slide to review information).
Videos of Surgical Procedures
This section consists of nearly 200 videos of various surgical procedures. Each video is approximately one-hour long and labeled with the date the procedure was performed and the hospital in which it was performed. All videos date back to January.2004.
The site is divided into seven main topics, beginning with Health Topics. This section allows consumers and professionals alike to search for any health topic alphabetically or by body location. Other search fields in this section include disorders and conditions, diagnosis and therapy, demographic groups, and health and wellness. Virtually any health topic can be found in this section, from sexual health to gum disease to gastroenteritis.
Drugs, Supplements, and Herbal Information gives visitors the opportunity to find information on over-the-counter and prescription medicine, along with herbs and supplements. The Medical Encyclopedia consists of 4,000 articles on various maladies, tests, and treatments, most of which include medical photographs and illustrations. The Medical Dictionary, which is linked to Merriam-Webster, allows visitors to look up medical terms, even if they are unsure of the spelling. The News section is an archive of health-related articles from Reuters Health and HealthDay. Visitors can search articles chronologically or by topic. Directories allow visitors to search for doctors, dentists, pediatricians, specialists, hospitals, and more. Finally, the section titled Other Resources is devoted to miscellaneous topics.
In addition to the seven main categories outlined above, MedlinePlus.gov has excellent tools and services, some of which are discussed in detail below.
Go Local
Go Local is a relatively new community-based service. Go Local provides information on health services, including hospitals, support groups, nursing homes, physicians, and specialists in local geographic areas. There are currently nineteen Go Local participants with more to be released in the near future.
Interactive Health Tutorials
This section consists of more than 150 health topics. An interactive tutorial with animated graphics and modules are devoted to each of these topics. The feel of these modules is similar to that which is experienced in a college classroom, with the added benefit of the “student” having complete control over the pace of the lesson (you can pause to take your time on a particular slide or go back to previous slide to review information).
Videos of Surgical Procedures
This section consists of nearly 200 videos of various surgical procedures. Each video is approximately one-hour long and labeled with the date the procedure was performed and the hospital in which it was performed. All videos date back to January.2004.