michigan informatics

Gateways

Gateways allow you to browse information that has already been broadly categorized. Therefore, you do not have to expend as much effort in finding resources related to a certain topic. If the category of information meets your research need, then all you need to do is evaluate the resources listed in the gateway. Several major health information gateways are listed below.

MedlinePlus
MedlinePlus brings together authoritative information from the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, and other government agencies and health-related organizations. Preformulated MEDLINE searches are included in MedlinePlus and give easy access to medical journal articles. MedlinePlus also has extensive information about drugs, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, interactive patient tutorials, and latest health news.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recognized as the lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of the public, providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships. Their site includes information on the latest public health issues, podcasts, health and safety literature, data and statistics and much more.

Combined Health Information Database (CHID Online)
CHID is a bibliographic database produced by health related agencies of the federal government and provides titles, abstracts, and availability information for health education resources. CHID contains many health promotion, education materials and program description not indexed elsewhere. The database is checked regularly and updated four times a year.

FirstGov.gov Health and Nutrition
The Health and Nutrition section of the FirstGov.gov site contains information on food, nutrition, fitness, health insurance, health by population group and more. FirstGov.gov is the official gateway for federal government information.

healthfinder
healthfinder® is a federal web site that provides information on diseases, conditions and injuries, as well as information regarding organizations that provide health information. It also links to a drug database that provides information on prescription and over-the-counter drugs. It also includes consumer guides to finding providers, reporting fraud, support groups and more, as well as a section devoted to children where you can find games that children can play while learning about specific health topics.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Health Information
The National Institutes of Health is one of the world's foremost medical research center. Its Health Information site contains fact sheets categorized by body location/body systems, conditions, and health and wellness. There is an A-Z index of health resources, as well as information on clinical trials and health information hotlines.

Nutrition.gov
Nutrition.gov is a federal web site that provides easy access to all online federal government information on nutrition. This resource makes obtaining government information on nutrition, healthy eating, physical activity, and food safety, easily accessible in one place. Community members can find information on healthy eating, the food guide pyramid, dietary guidelines, dietary supplements, fitness and how to keep food safe. Since nutrition is very important in preventing diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, a health educator can use many of the reliable resources from this site to promote healthy behaviors in the community.

Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce
This site provides a wealth of information for public health workers, including health educators. It is a collaboration of U.S. government agencies, public health organizations, and health sciences libraries devoted to providing quality information to improve the practice of those in public health. Contributions to this site have come from several key players in the field of public health. A health educator can find information for the public on health issues such as diabetes and hepatitis, information on toxic substances and health related hoaxes and rumors, as well as images and illustrations depicting a wide array of illnesses.