Resources

Researching Medical Information

The information resources provide you access to clinical: education, research, clinical trials, support resources websites.
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What to do with the clinical information - talk to your doctor:
Bring a concise summary of what you read, your personal health goals, and clear questions to your doctor.
Ask whether the evidence applies to your condition and overall health, and discuss proven benefits, risks, and alternatives.

What to do with the support resources - Don't hesitate contacting them. Some are specific to a condition but many participate with a range of conditions/situations.

Disclaimer:The external links to clinical, financial, or healthcare-related resources provided on this website are offered strictly for informational purposes. The website owner has no affiliation with, nor receives any financial compensation from, any of the organizations or entities listed.These resources are shared to support users in making informed decisions and should not be interpreted as endorsements, guarantees, or professional advice. Users are encouraged to consult with their healthcare providers, financial advisors, or other qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in these links.Use of any linked resources is at your own discretion and risk. The website owner assumes no responsibility for the content, accuracy, or privacy practices of external sites.
Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. By using this website, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full.

Medical Information - Patient Education

American Heart Association:
‍What is Cardiovascular Disease? Conditions,Treatments, Tests, Procedures, Medications Explore
Watch, Learn and Live with the American Heart Association's interactive cardiovascular library. Here you'll find informative illustrations and animations about a variety of conditions, treatments and procedures related to heart disease and stroke. Explore
‍Answers by Heart is a series of printable patient information sheets presented in a question-and-answer format that's brief, easy to follow and easy to read. Explore
Stroke Resource Library For Patients and Caregivers. Explore
American College of Cardiology: CardioSmart is the patient engagement program brought to you by the American College of Cardiology. Our mission is to support the patient and clinician partnership to personalize care. Explore
American Cancer Society: Education Materials - Prevention, Screening, After a Diagnosis, Treatments, What to do for Side Effects, Caregivers Info., Cancer Toolkit, Explore
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO): The American Cancer Society (ACS) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) have expanded their content collaboration to create one of the largest and most comprehensive online resources to ensure people with cancer can easily find and access authoritative cancer information. Breaking Cancer News for Patients. Treatment Plan Record Templates. Explore
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Ask the Allergist, Interactive Tools - Symptom Tester, Decision Making Tools, .... Explore
American Society of Anesthesiologists: Made for this Moment. Anesthesia 101, Pain Management, Preparing for Surgery Explore
American Academy of Audiology: Hearing and Balance Symptoms and Conditions Explore
American Chiropractic Association (ACA): Hands Down Better. Learn more about pain management, chiropractic and how it can help you. Explore
American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association: Cleft or Craniofacial Diagnosis? Start here. Explore
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD): conducts and supports research in the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language. Explore
American Dental Association: MouthHealthy. Better dental health starts here. Dental health topics from A to Z. Everything you need to know about keeping your smile healthy and bright at every age. Explore
American Academy of Dermatology Association: No one knows your skin better than a board-certified dermatologist. Partner with the expert for the best care. Explore
American Diabetes Association: Search the Patient Education Library by many categories. Explore
National Eye Institute: The nation's leader in vision research. The mission of the National Eye Institute is to eliminate vision loss and improve quality of life through vision research. Explore
Endocrine Library: Endocrine Society's Library features educational resources covering the diagnosis, symptoms, risk factors, treatments and therapies for hormone-related diseases and conditions. Explore
American Gastroenterological Association: aga gi patient center - For all your digestive health needs. By gastroenterologists, for patients. Search by symptoms, conditions, Explore
American Lung Association: Lung HelpLine. Talk to our experts at the American Lung Association Lung HelpLine. Our service is free and we are here to help you. Explore
American Academy of Neurology: Brain & Life. You can be sure you’re getting the most trusted information — straight from the world's leading neurologists—on multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, epilepsy, concussion, Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders, neuropathy, sleep disorders, migraines, and more. Explore
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Your destination for women's health information, backed by the nation's leading experts in women's health care. Resources for You. Explore ACOG's library of health information. Explore
American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery(ENT): ENThealth.org offers a roadmap for consumers seeking health-related information about the ear, nose, throat, and head and neck. Explore
American Academy of Ophthalmology: EyeSmart The Academy's EyeSmart website provides ophthalmologist-reviewed information about eye diseases and treatments, eye health news and tips for a lifetime of good eye health. Explore
American Psychiatric Association: Patients and Families: Learn about common mental disorders, including symptoms, risk factors and treatment options. Find answers to common questions written by leading psychiatrists and links to additional resources. Explore Links to Psychiatry Specialties. Explore
American College of Rheumatology (ACR): offers a variety of trusted educational information about arthritis and other rheumatic diseases for patients and caregivers. Explore
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Resource Centers: AACAP Resource Centers empower consumers through patient education. Each AACAP Resource Center contains consumer-friendly definitions, answers to frequently asked questions, clinical resources, expert videos, and abstracts from JAACAP, Scientific Proceedings and Facts for Families relevant to each disorder. Explore
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: Almost every household in America is affected by diseases of the bones, joints, muscles, and skin. NIAMS works to understand and treat such diseases and conditions. Explore
American Academy of Pediatrics: HealthyChildren.org The AAP Parenting Website. Explore
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: ASHA is committed to ensuring that all people with speech, language, and hearing disorders receive services to help them communicate effectively. Explore
American Podiatric Medical Association: With proper detection, intervention, and care, most foot and ankle problems can be lessened or prevented.Use the foot health information pages below to learn more common foot conditions and treatments. Explore
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo is the patient education website of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The site provides patients and their families with convenient, online access to more than 450 easy-to-understand articles and videos on orthopaedic conditions and treatments, injury prevention, rehabilitation, and healthy living. Explore
American College of Radiology: Radiology Information for Patients and Families.
Patient-Friendly Animations, Appropriateness Criteria, Find a Facility, Connect to RadiologyInfo.org Explore
Sleep Education: Developed and operated by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the leader in setting standards and promoting excellence in sleep medicine, health care, education and research. Explore
SafeMedication.com: Provided by American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. A source of information about prescription and over-the-counter medications for patients. Explore
Society for Vascular Surgery: Your Vascular Health aims to be the go-to resource for patients and caregivers, helping you understand and manage your vascular health. We provide credible information on common vascular conditions, prevention strategies, and treatment options. Explore
Urology Care Foundation: Provided by the American Urological Association. From Care to Treatments to Surgical Devices everything you need to know about urology in one place - conditions / tests & procedures. Explore
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What Doctors Wish Patients Knew™ AMA: When it comes to effective doctor-patient communication, it's important that both parties are speaking from a base of shared knowledge. ...physicians share what they want patients to understand about today's health care headlines.. Search What Doctors Wish Patients Knew
JAMA Network Patient Information: Explore the latest patient information from the JAMA Network, including easy-to-understand information about prevention and management of common illnesses. Explore
MedlinePlus: is the world's largest medical library & an online health information resource for patients, families, and friends. Explore
NIH: Health Information (Phone) Lines: Talk with resources on a wide range of health topics. Explore
RadiologyInfo.org: RadiologyInfo.org tells you how various x-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound, radiation therapy and other procedures are performed. It also addresses what you may experience and how to prepare for the exams. The website contains over 260 procedure, exam and disease descriptions.. Explore
ChoosePT: Provided by the American Physical Therapy Association. This website offers quality, evidence-based health information for the public from licensed physical therapists. Explore
Drugs.com: A full functional website to explore medications, interactions, side effects, dosing, managing, and more. No medication sales. Explore
Laboratory Tests - MedlinePlus: Learn about medical tests, including what the tests are used for, why a doctor may order a test, how a test will feel, and what the results may mean. Explore
eatright.com: Provided by Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Health Conditions. If you have a chronic health condition, a carefully planned diet can make a difference. With certain diseases, what you eat may reduce symptoms; in other cases, diet can improve health. Explore

Medical Information - Research Sources

The National Institutes of Health: A massive resource of health information re: research, trials, and more.
      Search NIH     All Diseases & Conditions Index (quick search)
Other sub-sections to research:
   A. Find a Provider & Facility (type) - Compare quality ratings
   B. Health Info Lines - phone contacts for accessing a full range of health services
   C. HealthCare.gov - insurance resources
   D. Wellness Toolkits - toolkits to find ways to improve your well-being in any area you’d like.
   E. Talking With Your Doctor or Health Care Provider - about a wide range of topics.
MedlinePlus: A more structured organization of information (ex.Tests, Drugs, Encyclopedia). Search MedlinePlus
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: ..uses gold standard methods to systematically review the evidence on preventive services. Search USPSTF
CDC Health Topics: Find diseases and conditions; healthy living; workplace safety; environmental health; injury, violence and safety, global health and more. Search CDC
Merck Manual: We believe that health information is a universal right and that every person is entitled to accurate, accessible and usable medical information. Search Merck Manual
Mayo Clinic Health Library: Diseases & Conditions; Symptoms; Tests & Procedures;... Connections to Clinical Trials, Support Groups. Search Mayo Clinic Health Library
Cleveland Clinic Health Library: Find answers to your health questions from experts you can trust. It's like having a friend who's a doctor — but here for you 24/7. Search Cleveland Clinic Health Library
JAMA Patient Page: Explore health information written for patients from the editors of JAMA, including easy-to-understand explanations of asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and more. (American Medical Association) Search JAMA Patient Page
WebMD: A media company focused on health information. Search WebMD
healthline: A media company focused on health information. Search healthline

Medical Resources - Clinical Trials

NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA): What Are Clinical Trials and Studies? A full description regarding participation and what you should know. Review the info
ResearchMatch: is a nonprofit program funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It helps to connect people interested in research studies with researchers from top medical centers across the U.S. Connect to ResearchMatch Network
ClinicalTrials.gov: ClinicalTrials.gov is a website and online database of clinical research studies and information about their results. The purpose of ClinicalTrials.gov is to provide information about clinical research studies to the public, researchers, and health care professionals. Connect to ClinicalTrials.gov
Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) is one of the world’s leading oncology research organizations conducting community-based clinical trials. Connect to SCRI
TrialGPT: Data Source - An AI Powered Tool for Matching Patients to Clinical Trials: All clinical trials shown in TrialGPT come from ClinicalTrials.gov, the largest registry and database of publicly and privately funded clinical trials conducted worldwide. Learn about TrialGPT Connect to TrialGPT

Medical Resources - Resources & Support Groups

Alzheimer’s Association: Browse helpful information and resources for those living with or caring for someone with Alzheimer's or other dementias. Connect
American Cancer Society ACS Patient Programs and Services - : The American Cancer Society offers programs and services to help you during and after cancer treatment. Connect
American Diabetes Association: Whether you’re battling diabetes or have a loved one who is, building connections with other people can be the best medicine. Connect
American Liver Foundation: As the largest organization focused on all liver diseases, ALF provides trusted support, resources and education ... ALF serves as a beacon for the 100 million Americans affected by liver disease. Connect
American Lung Association: Find an in-person support group nearby, connect with an expert online or over the phone, or join one of our online communities today. Connect
American Heart Association Support Network: Meet people who are on the same path as you. Benefit from their wisdom and share your own. Explore how to make your experience smoother and easier to manage. Connect
Arthritis Foundation: Live Yes! Connect Groups provide supportive social connections and are inclusive to parents/guardians of children or adults living with all types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases. Connect
Cancer Support Community CSC uplifts and strengthens people impacted by cancer by providing support, fostering compassionate communities, and breaking down barriers to care. Connect
Caregiver Action Network Caregiver Action Network (CAN) is the nation’s leading family caregiver organization. It works to improve the quality of life for tens of millions of family caregivers. These Americans care for loved ones with chronic conditions, disabilities, or diseases. Connect
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation: The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation is the leading nonprofit organization focused on both research and patient support for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with the mission of curing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and improving the quality of life for the millions of Americans living with IBD. Connect
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: Whether you’re looking to talk to someone, find your local chapter or care center, or read some additional information, we have plenty of resources to help. Connect
Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA): Take the next step toward wellness for yourself or someone you love.DBSA provides a safe space for people to share their mental health journeys. Connect
Epilepsy Foundation: We provide a range of educational opportunities, programs, and services. We offer programs both nationally and through local Epilepsy Foundations. At the Epilepsy Foundation, our programs support people living with epilepsy, families, friends, and caregivers. Connect
Lupus Foundation of America: Doctors, scientists, health educators, and people with lupus work together to create our resources and programs. That means we have the trusted information you need to learn about lupus. Connect
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Join us in our vision to create a world without blood cancer. Connect
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): NAMI support groups are peer-led and offer participants an opportunity to share their experiences and gain support from other attendees. Connect
National Kidney Foundation: Treatment and Support. Learn about treatments for kidney failure and find support. Connect
National Multiple Sclerosis Society: There are nearly 1 million people in the United States with MS. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is here so everyone has what they need to take control of their MS journey. Join a community, access healthcare and financial resources, or find an educational program. Connect
National Organization for Rare Disorders: NORD was the first national nonprofit to represent all individuals and families affected by rare disease. Today we’re the only organization working at the intersection of care, research, policy, and community for all rare diseases. Connect
Parkinson's Foundation: Parkinson’s Foundation is your trusted ally for information that can help you navigate every stage of this disease. We offer resources that provide life-changing support to people with PD, care partners, family members and healthcare professionals. Connect
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration): Find a support group for mental health, drugs, alcohol. In addition to health care professionals, there are many community programs that offer help. Crisis Line. Connect
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Find out how to access VA mental health services for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychological effects of military sexual trauma (MST), depression, grief, anxiety, and other needs. You can use some services even if you’re not enrolled in VA health care. Connect

Using AI applications

If you use Artificial Intelligence applications to research topics, you will want to use well structured questions and/or questioning methods. We have two suggestions for you.

When addressing a procedure you are considering include these elements:
Contraindications, Preparations, Post Procedure instructions. (You could also include Procedure Description.)
The question might look like:
List the contraindications, preparations instructions and post procedure instructions for MRI Abdomen without/with Contrast (CPT Code 74183). Cite the sources. You might include specific sources such as Mayo Clinic.
(We don't specify a specific source(s) when we search.)

Understand that the provider you ultimately select, may very well have a variation to the information you obtain. Be sure you obtain their information/instructions for preparing.

The reason you perform a search is to prepare for scheduling with the ultimate provider. You should know general elements that may influence your selection of a procedure date/day. For example, fasting or requiring a ride to/from might impact the best date(s) for you to schedule. Know what you want BEFORE contacting scheduling.

Here is a result we received:

When researching a disease/condition, you can be more flexible by asking sequential questions that 'build' the information you want. Notice in the example below, we start with a multiple questions combination. Even with this approach there are subsequent questions that are generated from the responses. You could add:
- are there genetic tests that indicate potential for this disease to occur?
- what recent treatment advances have occurred?
- are they any other (fill in the blank)? Sometimes the initial result is limited and a second 'pass' provides more info.