AIDS/HIV

     The NIH Office of AIDS Research website http://www.nih.gov/od/oar/index.htm provides information about the latest AIDS research projects and information, online publications and ordering information, and a link to virtual conferences. 

     The JAMA HIV/AIDS Information Center, produced by the Journal of the American Medical Association, is an easy-to-use, interactive collection of useful and high-quality resources for physicians, other health professionals and the public. The JAMA HIV/AIDS Information Center provides current information on treatment guidelines and reviews, and resources for patients and professionals, as well as prevention facts. http://www.ama-assn.org/special/hiv/hivhome.htm

Additional Websites related to HIV and AIDS

    The National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) http://www.napwa.org/

    The National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) website http://www.nmac.org/

    AIDS Policy Center for Children, Youth and Families http://www.aidspolicycenter.org/

    The National Network of National Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Northwest Branch, provides many linkages to HIV/AIDS Resources at http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/pnr/samplers/aidspath.html

    The National Pediatric & Family HIV Resource Center http://www.pedhivaids.org/ provides information on preventing perinatal transmission, educational information, news, research, and information about Ryan White Care Providers.

    The CDC National Prevention Information Network http://www.cdcnpin.org/ contains information on HIV, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD), and Tuberculosis (TB) prevention.

Assisted Living and Long Term Care

    The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has a searchable webpage of assisted living facilities in the state, broken down by county. http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/alf/owa/alf_info.main.firstpage

Asthma

Asthma Resource Center: A patient's guide to Asthma, from the Canadian Lung Association, offers information about asthma, asthma management, asthma and exercise, allergies, nutrition, asthma at school, and information specially for children and for teachers. The Asthma Guide to prescription drugs for lung diseases provides helpful information on how use inhalers and other devices. http://www.lung.ca/asthma/

The American Lung Association provides information, documents and resources related to many lung diseases, include asthma. http://www.lungusa.org/

About.com provides linkages to various support groups related to allergy and asthma. http://asthma.miningco.com/health/diseases/asthma/msub4.htm

Cancer 

    CancerNet™ provides a wide range of accurate, credible cancer information brought to you by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). CancerNet™ information is reviewed regularly by oncology experts and is based on the latest research. Portals are provided for patients, health professionals, and basic researchers. Preliminary results are posted for current studies and clinical trials. http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov Useful links for patients include websites offering general cancer information, websites with information about specific types of cancer, pediatric cancer information, and websites about support for cancer patients. There is also links to NCI-Designated Cancer Centers and medical facilities, and other cancer care facilities. http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov/global/glo_pt.htm

    CancerNet™ includes a variety of cancer information searching sources, including PDQ®, NCI's comprehensive cancer database, which has summaries on cancer treatment, screening, prevention, supportive care, and information on ongoing clinical trials; CANCERLIT®, NCI's bibliographic database; fact sheets, news, and other resources. Links are also provided to CancerTrials™, NCI's comprehensive clinical trials information center.

    The University of Washington Healthlinks: Cervical Cancer Website contains information and linkages for patients, as well as for physicians, medical students, and researchers. http://healthlinks.washington.edu/conditions/cervicalcancer.html

    The mission of the Intercultural Cancer Council is to develop and promote policies and programs to redress the imbalance in the incidence and survival rates from many cancers among racial and ethnic minority and medically underserved populations. This website is designed to serve the minority and medically underserved communities with cancer-related information and programs. http://icc.bcm.tmc.edu/home.htm

    The Melanoma Patients' Information Page is designed for melanoma patients and melanoma investigators. This website includes published results of clinical trials in chemotherapy, vaccines, gene therapy, a research abstracts database, and a bulletin board for questions and answers. There is a series of patient's guides, tailored to the stage of melanoma, a staging calculator, and the latest news in the field. http://www.mpip.org

    The American Alliance of Cancer Pain Initiatives (AACPI) is an alliance of voluntary, grass-roots organizations. Cancer Pain Initiatives are composed of nurses, physicians, pharmacists, representatives of clinical care facilities, higher education and government. Initiatives and their participants nationwide provide education, training, information and organizational support to health care providers, cancer patients and their families. The mission is "to promote cancer pain relief nationwide." The Resource Center of the AACPI offers complimentary materials for professional, patient, and public education. There are links to other sites related to cancer pain management. http://www.wisc.edu/trc/free.htm

    The Florida Cancer Pain Initiative (FCPI) is a statewide organization and member of the AACPI. The FCPI Website contains information about the organization, and provides information about meetings and events around the state as they relate to cancer pain. Their stated purpose is to be a resource for patient and caregivers as well as for the physician. FCPI membership includes anyone interested in working together to improve the quality of life for patients with cancer-related pain: physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, psychologists, clergy, patients and their families, and the public at large. http://www.fcpi.net/

    The Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) is a National Cancer Institute-sponsored clinical trials cooperative group of individuals and institutions dedicated to controlling cancer among children and adolescents. Their Website provides news and information, lists of member institutions by region of the country, and list of cooperative oncology groups, some of which provide information about ongoing clinical trials in different regions. http://www.pog.ufl.edu/

    Oral Health, Cancer Care and You: Fitting the Pieces Together Website provides information from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research on preventing and managing oral complications of cancer treatment. Some information on this site is geared to the patient, such as information about chemotherapy and oral health, and some is oriented towards the oral health or oncology provider, such as the Oral Care Provider Reference Guide for Oncology Patients, and continuing education quizzes. http://www.aerie.com/nohicweb/campaign

    CapCURE This site contains news and background information on prostate cancer, as well as information about research funded by CapCURE, the largest private source of funding for prostate cancer research. http://www.capcure.org

    The Eye Cancer Network is an educational web site for patients with eye cancer and the health professionals who care for them. http://www.eyecancer.com

    Breast Cancer Answers This is a service of the University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center, providing accurate and up-to-date information from reliable sources on breast cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, stage and treatment. http://www.medsch.wisc.edu/bca

    American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Website contains cancer information for patients, including information on treatment, support groups and other resources. Health Professionals information includes ASCO policies, meetings, and publications. http://www.asco.org/

  Complementary and Alternative Medicine
     The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine website provides answers to commonly asked questions regarding alternative medicine therapies, treatments, and practitioners.  Some of the alternative medicine fields discussed are diet, nutrition, lifestyle changes, mind-body control, bioelectromagnetic applications, bioelectromagnetic applications, alternative systems of medical practice, manual healing, pharmacological and biological treatments, and herbal medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/

     The Office of Dietary Supplements in the NIH http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/  has a link to the IBIDS Dietary Supplements References Database which has over 328,000 scientific abstracts & citations about dietary supplements. 

Diabetes

Drug Abuse 

    Drug Abuse USA has information about drug and alcohol abuse, including links to local, state and national help and information resources. http://www.drug-abuse.com/

    The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the NIH Website has information on drugs of abuse, research reports, and a site for students and teachers. http://www.nida.nih.gov/ The Website provides links to other related sites, including the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trial Network (CTN), which is being developed in an effort to forge partnerships among NIDA, treatment researchers and community-based treatment providers, with the objective of improving the quality of drug abuse treatment throughout the nation. http://www.nida.nih.gov/ClinicalTrials.html The CTN provides a research infrastructure to conduct multisite clinical trials research in order to test whether new and improved treatment components are effective in real-life settings with diverse patient populations. The research studies test different behavioral and pharmacological treatments and determine the conditions under which novel treatments can be successful. The NIDA also has a site listing links with NIDA constituent organizations, grantees and government sites of interest, including such organizations as Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Center for Education and Drug Abuse Research (CEDAR), Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services Organizations, and many other related organizations. http://www.nida.nih.gov/OtherResources.html

    The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) Website has a document online about their drug abuse hospitalization costs study. http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/schs/DrugAbuse/drugabuse.htm

    National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) provides leadership in the alcoholism and drug abuse counseling profession by building new visions, effecting change in public policy, promoting criteria for effective treatment, encouraging adherence to ethical standards, and ensuring professional growth for alcoholism and drug abuse counselors. http://www.naadac.org/

Environmental Toxicology

EXTOXNET is designed for people with questions about toxicants in the environment and how they affect you. This web page answers some of the most frequently asked questions about exposure to toxicants in our environment. There is a searchable index and topics include pesticides, safe drinking water, laws and regulations, and gardening and chemicals. Extension toxicologists from the University of California at Davis, Cornell University, Oregon State University, University of Idaho, and Michigan State University are collaborating in this effort to address issues raised by the public. http://ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet/faqs/index.htm

Heart disease 

New York Online Access to Health (NOAH) has a wealth of information and linkages related to heart disease and stroke. http://www.noah.cuny.edu/heart_disease/heartdisease.html NOAH is a project of four New York partners who have worked together on a variety of projects for 26 years: The City University of New York, The Metropolitan New York Library Council, The New York Academy of Medicine and The New York Public Library. The NOAH Website also has information and linkages on a wide variety of other health and wellness topics.

Health Care Information Resources is a health information Website for patients, families, friends and health care providers, compiled and maintained by Tom Flemming, McMaster University Health Sciences Library, McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. http://www-hsl.mcmaster.ca/tomflem/infosit.html Heart Disease Links are found at http://www-hsl.mcmaster.ca/tomflem/heartdis.html

Managed care

    The HMO Satisfaction Survey by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration is a compilation of data from a customer satisfaction survey of HMO's in Florida. http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/dm1/hmorpt/index.htm

    CNN Interactive Special Website on the HMO Debate includes a HMO check, how to pick an hmo, experiments, and features on upsides and downsides of membership, what seniors need to know now, working the system, and finding and using report cards. http://cnn.com/HEALTH/specials/HMOs/

    The National Center for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is an independent non-profit organization that provides information about managed care plans for consumers, healthcare providers, and employers and unions. http://www.ncqa.org/Pages/Main/index.htm This Website provides a search engine for NCQA Accreditation information about your health plan.

Medicaid & Medicare 
     Your first stop for information related to Medicaid and Medicare should be the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) website http://www.HCFA.gov/ .  HCFA is the federal agency that administers the Medicare, Medicaid and Child Health Insurance Programs.  Their website provides information about these programs, as well as statistics and data, and telephone numbers for local/state agencies administering the programs.  The HCFA Information Clearinghouse http://www.medicare.gov/publications.html provides online consumer publications, and ordering information for beneficiaries, in both English and Spanish. 
     The Health Care Financing Administration's Plan and Provider Home Page is for physicians, health plans and organizations, care providers, carriers, intermediaries, and other HCFA partners.  http://www.HCFA.gov/audience/planprov.htm This Website provides information about physician fee schedules, provider billing and HCFA forms, and Electronic Data Interchange for Medicare. Other online information as well as a search tool is available. 

Medical Practice Guidelines

    Medical Practice Guidelines, sometimes referred to as Practice Parameters, are flexible parameters for standards of medical care for particular medical conditions. These guidelines provide information about minimum standards of care and disease management for a medical condition. For more information about Medical Practice Guidelines, see Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration information at http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/dm1/diabetes/guideln.htm#toc1.

    Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), in conjunction with the state Department of Health and Diabetes Practice Guideline Advisory Committee, has developed guidelines addressing the complex needs of diabetes patents. http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/dm1/diabetes/index.htm

    National Guideline Clearinghouse website contains evidence-based clinical practice guidelines developed by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) in partnership with the American Medical Association (AMA). http://www.guideline.gov/FRAMESETS/search_fs.asp?view=disease

    The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is an independent advisory panel to the Department of Health and Human Services that conducts impartial assessments of scientific evidence. The Guide to Clinical Preventive Services evaluates the clinical effectiveness of 169 preventive services-- screening tests, counseling interventions, immunizations, and chemoprophylactic regimens--and provided age-, sex-, and risk factor-specific recommendations about services that should be considered for periodic health examinations. The 1995 Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, available online and in print, contains examples of preventive services recommended for routine use, those targeted at particular risk groups and those not currently recommended for routine use. http://158.72.20.10/pubs/guidecps/

    Canadian Medical Association Practice Guidelines The CMA practice guidelines infobase covers all areas of health. http://www.cma.ca/cpgs/index.htm

Medication Safety

The Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical Patient Guide to safe use of prescription medicines was developed to help patients to talk with their doctors and pharmacists about their medications and help them to use their medications safely and effectively. Information includes how to read a prescription drug package insert. http://prescriptionforsafety.com/

About your Medicine: Patient education from the American Pharmaceutical Association presents several ways that patients can learn more about their medicines in order for them to take them safely. http://www.pharmacyandyou.org/aboutmedicine/aboutmedicine-top.html

Occupational Safety and Health

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) http://www.osha.gov/ has a wealth of information about occupational safety and health, including a searchable index of rules and regulations related to the workplace.

    American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) The world's largest organization of occupational and environmental physicians, ACOEM is dedicated to promoting and protecting the health of workers through preventive services, clinical care, research, and educational programs. To achieve this goal, the College provides courses and conferences, newsletters, the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and numerous other services. Our presence on the Internet is yet another method for the College to assist physicians in caring for workers. http://www.acoem.org/

    Canadian Medical Association Practice Guidelines for Occupational Medicine The CMA practice guidelines infobase includes practice guidelines for Occupational Medicine. http://www.cma.ca/cpgs/occup.htm

Preventive Medicine

    The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is an independent advisory panel to the Department of Health and Human Services that conducts impartial assessments of scientific evidence. The Guide to Clinical Preventive Services evaluates the clinical effectiveness of 169 preventive services-- screening tests, counseling interventions, immunizations, and chemoprophylactic regimens--and provided age-, sex-, and risk factor-specific recommendations about services that should be considered for periodic health examinations. The 1995 Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, available online and in print, contains examples of preventive services recommended for routine use, those targeted at particular risk groups and those not currently recommended for routine use. http://158.72.20.10/pubs/guidecps/

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posts a list of FDA Certified Mammography Facilities, which meet baseline quality standards for equipment, personnel and practices under the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992 (MQSA). The list is updated weekly. At this Website, you can search for FDA Certified Mammography Facilities in your area by state and zip code. http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/mammography/fda_certified_mammography_faci.html

     The Florida Prevention Research Center is designated as one of 23 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Centers in the nation funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Florida Prevention Research Center focus is on Community-Based Prevent Marketing: Building Local Capacity for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. http://www.hsc.usf.edu/prc/descript.html

    The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences website offers information about a number of behavioral interventions that provide patients with the knowledge and skills they need to manage or prevent illness. Behavioral interventions are non-drug approaches aimed at managing chronic diseases, enhancing health-promoting and decreasing health-damaging behaviors, and preventing the onset of new illnesses.  http://www1.od.nih.gov/obssr/patinfo.htm

Rare Diseases
     The Office of Rare Diseases http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/ord/ in the NIH is a website where you can find information on more than 6000 rare diseases, including current research, publications from scientific and medical journals, completed research, ongoing studies, and patient support groups.

Women's Health
     The Office of Research on Women's Health in the NIH http://www4.od.nih.gov/orwh/ has information about special research projects related to women's health.