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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 www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.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)
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