Guides: Community Health Engagement: Consumer & Patient Health Information Sources

Penn Medicine Patient Resources

myPennMedicine A patient portal for communicating with a care team, accessing test results, renewing prescriptions, and managing appointments.
PennMedicine Wellness and Patient Support Information Health blog and information on patient rights, medical records, insurance and billing, and more.
OncoLink One of the largest cancer information websites offering education to support patients, caregivers and practitioners.

Health Insurance & Financial Aid Resources

Health Insurance Marketplace

Information and enrollment site for health insurance coverage obtained through the Health Insurance Marketplace established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare).

Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Learn about free or low-cost health and dental coverage for qualifying kids and teens.
Guide to Medicare Eligibility, Coverage, and Plans
Health Insurance When You're Unemployed
How to Apply for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
How to Qualify and Apply for Medicaid
Medicaid.gov Information on the government's health insurance plan for eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and people with disabilities.
Medicare.gov Information on the government health insurance program for people age 65 or older, people under 65 with certain disabilities, or people of all ages with End-Stage Renal Disease.
Paying for Prescription Drugs
Paying for Senior Care
Pennsylvania Health Law Project PHLP provides free legal services and advocacy to Pennsylvania residents having trouble accessing publicly-funded health care coverage and services
RetireGuide
Understanding Health Insurance Resources for anyone shopping for health coverage through the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare). Provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Drug Information

AARP Pill Identifier Aids in the identification of unknown pills. From AARP (American Associate of Retired People)
Pillbox Aids in the identification of unknown pills. From the National Library of Medicine.
Medicare Drug Coverage (Part D) Information on how to get drug coverage (Part D) through Medicare and what the drug plans cover, including a drug list (formulary) and its tiers.
NeedyMeds Find help with the cost of medicine. HELPLINE: (800) 503-6897
Medline Plus: Drugs Learn about prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines including herbs and supplements. Includes side effects, dosage, special precautions, and more. From the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Daily Med DailyMed is the official provider of FDA drug label information (package inserts). This Website provides information about medication content and labeling found in medication package inserts. Look for links to "consumer version" of each drug profile.
FDA - Drugs Drug information for consumers from the Food & Drug Administration.
PDR Health Prescribers' Digital Reference: Search or browse over 2,300 drug guides by drug name. Printable information written for the patient.
RXList General info on brand and generic drugs; includes pill identifier. Look for the "For Consumer" information boxes.
Merck Manual Consumer Version A resource for drug information

Penn Libraries subscribes to the following Point-Of-Care Tools for Penn-affiliated clinicians to access. These tools also contain patient education resources.

ClinicalKey A clinical search engine. Searches clinically related material produced by Elseiver. Replaces MDConsult. Access includes full text textbooks, Clinics of North America, full text journals, practice guidelines, drug information and patient education.
UpToDate UpToDate is a practical clinical reference designed to provide instant access to the information you need. It is comprised of thousands of original topic reviews written by a recognized faculty of experts who each address a specific clinical issue and provide detailed recommendations.

Start Here: MedlinePlus

MedlinePlus is a trusted health information resource. The website is free, easy to understand, excludes ads, and is kept up to date by the National Library of Medicine. It's also offered En Español. It offers information on health topics, drugs and supplements, videos and tools, lab test information, a medical encyclopedia, and links to health information in multiple languages.

Health Information in Multiple Languages

EthnoMed EthnoMed provides information about cultural beliefs, medical issues, and other topics related to the health care of immigrants and refugees living in the US.
Health Fluency Project The Health Fluency Project is a student-led initiative that aims to improve health literacy in non-native English speaking communities in Boston and beyond, empowering individuals to confidently navigate their health and the healthcare system.
Health Information Translations Health Information Translations provides education resources in multiple languages for health care professionals and others to use in their communities. Resources are easy to read and culturally appropriate.
more...less...
The website is a collaboration of health education specialists from the four health systems in Central Ohio
Language Solutions An organization that provides health interpretation and translation services
SPIRAL Selected Patient Information Resources in Asian Languages. Maintained by Tufts University Hirsh Health Sciences Library.

Health Websites

The following websites are particularly useful for patients and consumers (sites are listed in alphabetical, NOT ranked, order):

Cancer.gov National Cancer Institute (NCI) resource site. General information available by type of cancer. The site includes contact information, plus offers 'live' online chat help.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) CDC's primary online communication channel. Provides health information on: data & statistics, diseases/conditions, emergencies & disasters, travelers' health, and much more.
familydoctor.org "Operated by the American Academy of Family Physicians. All of the information on this site has been written and reviewed by physicians and patient education professionals at the AAFP."
Genetics Home Reference: Your Guide to Understanding Genetic Conditions Genetics Home Reference provides consumer-friendly information about the effects of genetic variation on human health.
healthfinder® "A government Web site where you will find information and tools to help you and those you care about stay healthy."
Kidshealth® "KidsHealth provides families with perspective, advice, and comfort about a wide range of physical, emotional, and behavioral issues that affect children and teens."
Mayo Clinic "Find information on hundreds of conditions. Check your symptoms. Improve your lifestyle. "
MyHealth.Alberta.ca Network A trusted source of health information managed by the Alberta Government and Alberta Health Services (AHS)
National Institute on Aging: Health Information "National Institute on Aging makes aging-related health information easily accessible for family members and friends seeking reliable, easy to understand online health information."

Addressing Health-Related Misinformation

The San Diego State Health Information Partnership created the following materials to address health-related misinformation.

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) also provides the following resources.

Mental Health Resources

National Alliance for Mental Health The world's largest grassroots mental health organization, offering education, advocacy, leadership and a Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI.
Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers' Association A statewide member organization providing information, referrals, and supports to people who are receiving services or in recovery from a mental illness in Pennsylvania.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) SAMHSA is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.

Health Websites for Kids

KidsHealth Movies, quizzes, and health info for kids. Also links to similar sites for teens, parents, and educators. From Nemours.
BAM! Body & Mind Health website designed for kids from 9-12 years old, with animated characters and superheroes. Provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kids Environment: Kids Health For fun and educational materials related to health, science, and the environment we live in today. Provided by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
13thirty Cancer Connect Formerly "Teens Living with Cancer." For teens and young adults with cancer. In partnership with the Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Wilmot Cancer Center.
ToxMystery Toxie the Cat helps kids from 7-11 years old learn about household chemical hazards. Provided by the National Library of Medicine.

Multimedia, Apps, Tutorials, and Games

Center for Disease Control Mobile Apps Various mobile apps: Track young children's milestones, get health news, test your Health IQ, peek into the world of real-life Disease Detectives in the "Solve the Outbreak" app, and more.
MedlinePlus Games & Tutorials Boost your health knowledge by playing these interactive health games.
MedlinePlus Health Check Tools Assess your health with interactive tools such as calculators, quizzes, and questionnaires. You can check your risk for heart disease, calculate your ideal weight and body mass, find out how many calories your favorite exercise burns, and more.
MedlinePlus Health Videos These animated videos show the anatomy of body parts and organ systems and how diseases and conditions affect them.
Mobile Apps List Created by Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Resource & Learning Center Use these health-related apps to meditate, identify drug shortages, stay connected to your loved ones, and find information on various conditions.
Graphic Medicine Graphic medicine is a type of comics that includes health information.

Social Support for Health Conditions

PatientsLikeMe: This site describes itself as a free website where "people with chronic health conditions get together and share their experiences living with disease" so that patients can learn from others who have gone before them and researchers can apply learnings to develop new and better treatments.

Smart Patients: Smart Patients, is an online community founded by Giles Frydman, one of the founders of Association of Cancer Online Resources (ACOR) and Roni Zeiger, an urgent care doctor. This community is intended for patients and families affected by a variety of illnesses.

Please note that because PatientsLikeMe and Smart Patients serve as social sites, individuals share their own experiences and perspectives. While information sharing and social support can be extremely valuable, each person, their diagnosis, and treatment is different. Patients should talk with their doctors about information shared on the site and should follow their doctor's advice.