Best of the Web: Health & Medicine

Includes information for kids on food safety, vaccines, pet care, medical devices and more from the Federal Drug Administration.

Listing of doctors of chiropractic who are members of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). Site provides contact information and can be searched by name and location.

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) offers an easily searchable database of AAHA-accredited hospitals all over the United States and Canada.

Click on the Health and Fitness category to search for articles from hundreds of health and fitness magazines and journals or search within specific titles, such as Psychology Today, Fit Pregnancy, Alternative Medicine Review, Diabetes Care and British Medical Journal.

This website dispels popular myths and misconceptions about exercise.

A critical look at the new Food Pyramid from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Presents the USDA model as well as the "Healthy Eating Pyramid" created by Walter C. Willett, MD, of the Harvard Schhol of Public Health.

Authoritative information from the United States agency responsible for the safety and security of our food supply.

This article provides alternatives to performing four popular but dangerous weight training exercises.

Over 400,000 free articles from medical journals published by HighWire Press.

Health brochures and patient education materials from a variety of sources.

What does it mean to be fit? The Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports explain the fundamentals of exercise and provide information on starting an exercise program.

From the American College of Radiology & The Radiological Society of North America, this glossary provides simple definitions for radiology terminology.

Created by a not-for-profit, volunteer-supported and community-based organization committed to national leadership in the fight against AIDS. Their mission is to reduce the spread of HIV disease, help people with HIV maintain and improve their health and independence, and keep the prevention, treatment and cure of HIV an urgent national and local priority. Of particular note is the calendar of programs, services, workshops, forums, and other events offered in New York City.

Detailed information from the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA) on all aspects of long-term care insurance. In PDF format requiring Adobe Acrobat to view.

Information about health care access and health insurance, including related NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene programs

The BC HealthFiles are easy-to-understand fact sheets on health and safety topics such as: common illnesses, environmental health concerns, problems with pests, and health and safety tips. Some topics are available in other languages: Chinese, Farsi, Punjab, Spanish, French and Vietnamese.

This web page provides links to many health topics PDF files in Portuguese and English. It is maintained by MedlinePlus a service of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

This new easy-to-use Spanish-language consumer resource offers over 300 topics from 70 government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Users of the site can switch easily between Spanish and English versions of the same information. English-speaking family members or health-professionals can use this feature to search in English for information to share with Spanish-speaking relatives or patients.

From the Harvard School of Public Health and other institutions, a collection of "healthy eating pyramids,". These unique dietary guides based on worldwide dietary traditions are closely associated with good health and includes individual pyramids based on Asian, Latin American, Mediterranean and Vegetarian diets.

Web page for New York State's health insurance plan for adults titled Healthy New York. The plan is designed to help small business owners and individuals obtain affordable health insurance. Information on eligibility, benefits, how to apply and much more is provided.

Use this site, created by the American Animal Hospital Association, to find up-to-date information on your pet's health. Use Healthypet's Hospital Locator to find a veterinary hospital near you.

A joint project of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation and WomenHeart: the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, this website has up-to-date information on heart disease in women. Includes the signs and symptoms of heart attack in women, which are typically different than those men experience.

Safety tips for preventing, identifying, and caring for heat related illnesses.

Data from New York City's Health and Hospitals Corporation tracking care and conditions at its 11 area hospitals. Topics include heart attack care, pneumonia care and infection prevention.

List of history of medicine sites categorized by topics such as Digitized Images and Manuscripts, Regional and Cultural History, and Thematic Sites. The website is created and maintained by the Health Sciences Library of the Statue University of New York at Buffalo.

From the Center for Disease Control, this article describes the various ways the HIV virus is spread.

From the AIDSinfo Information Service, this site compiles treatment information for patients and caregivers.

This site compares how certain hospitals care for all their adult patients with certain medical conditions. The number of conditions, procedures, and hospitals covered is limited but should continue to grow. The site is maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

This website posts results of an ongoing voluntary survey of hospital safety and quality. The survey is created and compiled by the Leapfrog Group a health care purchaser coalition.

Use this website to learn how to use the information found on a nutrition facts label more effectively and easily.This website, provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, presents an overview of the nutrition facts label.

Sponsored by the American Social Health Association, this site provides the answers teens need to make informed decisions about sexual health and STD prevention.

Extensive information on basic research on all diseases and disorders.

Sponsored by the American Social Health Association, this site provides the answers teens need to make informed decisions about sexual health and STD prevention.

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations evaluates and accredits more than 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the U.S.

This website contains heart healthy recipes, provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Please note that the recipes are available for downloading and viewing in PDF format only.

This kid-friendly medical dictionary from PBS provides explanations for terms that relate to common illnesses and conditions.

Provides a list of laboratory tests for various health conditions.

From the CDC, this online booklet is intended to help people with HIV understand how to live with HIV and keep themselves healthy. Also provides other sources of information on the topic.

Guidelines from the Food Safety and Inspection Service on how to determine if the perishable foods delivered to your home have been handled properly.

Information created by AARP covering many topics relating to managed care. Includes overviews, opitions and your rights when dealing with managed care organizations.

A wide range of articles on newborn care, health and development from an internationally recognized authority.

The basics of complementary and alternative health from an internationally recognized authority. In addition to information about a variety of therapies, this site can be searched for suggested treatments for a specific disease or condition.

A wide range of health topics from an internationally recognized authority. News items, research updates, disease briefs, and prevention guidelines.

This site includes a wide variety of information on health including screening tests, fitness, weight control, aging as well as health conditions and issues of interest to women.

Data and links provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to help consumers rate health care procedures and organizations.

Links to a vast amount of evaluated Internet sites relating to the history of medicine. The links can be browsed by category or searched using terms. The site is developed and maintained by The Welcome Trust which is an independent research funding charity based in the United Kingdom.

Provides free counseling to people with Medicaid problems or questions. Easy-to-read publications discuss Medicare basics.

Developed by a group of NYC medical librarians, this site offers annotated links to medical sites, directories, an encyclopedia, and other resources. See also: A PubMed search guide.