Health Resources from Government Sources   Tags: government, health, j._paul_leonard, san_francisco_state_university, sf_state, sfsu  

MedlinePlus has extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over 750 diseases and conditions. Health professionals and consumers alike can depend on it for information that is authoritative and up to date. There are also lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and a medical dictionary, health information in Spanish, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials.

The work of the clinical laboratory professional - who analyzes many things in the body including chemical indicators, the health of blood cells, and the presence of microbes and genetic markers - has long been an unseen aspect of health care. Yet, clinical lab tests often provide the link between the patient's presentation of symptoms and the doctor's diagnosis of and prescribed treatment for a particular condition or disease.

At the top of the welcome page are links to individual resources with potential drug information, including summaries tailored to various audiences. You may search by a drug’s trade name or generic name.Once a drug is found, a summary of the drug’s type and usage is given, as well as links leading to further information at one of the portal’s resources. Outside links open in a new window. Within a given drug record, you may click on the drug category and retrieve drugs with the same or similar uses.

Genetics Home Reference provides consumer-friendly information about the effects of genetic variations on human health.

As a reminder: A clinical trial (also clinical research) is a research study in human volunteers to answer specific health questions. Interventional trials determine whether experimental treatments or new ways of using known therapies are safe and effective under controlled environments. Observational trials address health issues in large groups of people or populations in natural settings.