Consumer Health Links

The following are sources for reliable and up to date information about your health. These Web sites will provide information which is reliable and are written with a consumer focus.

There are many other valid sites available on the Internet. This is intended as a sample only.

If you have questions or are trying to locate medical information not covered by one of the following sites, please feel free to contact the Health Sciences Library, Grey Bruce Health Services at:
519-376-2121, Ext. 2043 or e-mail library@gbhs.on.ca .

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Medlineplus (National Institute of Health US) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ MEDLINEplus is a goldmine of good health information from the world's largest medical library, the National Library of Medicine. It contains extensive information on over 650 diseases and conditions. There is also a medical encyclopedia and a medical dictionary, health information in Spanish, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials. MEDLINEplus is updated daily.

Canada Health Network (Health Canada) http://www.canadian-health-network.ca/ CHN is a national, non-profit, bilingual web-based health information service. CHN's goal is to help Canadians find the information they're looking for on how to stay healthy and prevent disease. This network of health information providers includes Health Canada and national and provincial/territorial non-profit organizations, as well as universities, hospitals, libraries and community organizations.

Healthy Ontario (Government of Ontario) http://www.healthyontario.com The HealthyOntario.com web site, launched in October 2002, was created to provide Ontarians with a world-leading web destination for trusted health information, services and advice for healthier living. This site contains thousands of pages of original content, health assessment tools, health and medical information, healthcare services available in Ontario, and links to other Ontario health and wellness Web sites.

BC Cancer Society http://www.bccancer.bc.ca If you are living with cancer or supporting someone who is, the BC Cancer Agency encourages you to learn more about the disease, its treatment, and the many support services available to you. Of particular value in this page is the section on alternate therapy. These pages are designed to provide objective information for patients and their families, relating to alternative and complementary therapies. http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/PPI/UnconventionalTherapies/default.htm Most of the information consists of direct quotations from the medical, peer-reviewed book and journal literature. Healthcare providers at the BC Cancer Agency believe there is a role for alternative and complementary therapies to promote improved quality of life, maintain hope, enhance feelings of control, and encourage healing within the cancer experience.

Women's Health Matters http://www.womenshealthmatters.ca/index.cfm Sunnybrook & Women's is considered one of the most renowned Canadian health sciences centres. The organization is recognized as a leader in high quality patient-focussed care, and has a particular commitment to women's health. Women's Health Matters, is a source for reliable, evidence-based and up-to-date information on women's health.

Ontario Wait Time Strategy http://www.health.gov.on.ca/transformation/wait_times/ The government is building a system to measure and report to patients about wait times. This will help health care practitioners ensure people get the care they need, when they need it. This web site is an important part of the Wait Time Strategy. It contains information about wait times in Ontario and what the government is doing to reduce them. This site will tell people how long they can expect to wait for key health services. Currently, the site contains information about wait times in 2003-04. The government will be tracking and providing updates on wait times across the province, with a breakdown by hospital. This will allow people to make informed choices about their health care. By December 2006 the government will have developed a comprehensive registry that will allow Ontarians to track and compare wait times in all hospitals across the province. The long-term goal is to expand the registry to include all surgeries delivered in Ontario.

Hospital Report - Ministry of Health and Long Term Care http://www.hospitalreport.ca/downloads/year.html Hospital Report is a joint initiative between the Ontario Hospital Association and the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. It is independently prepared by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. It provides Ontarians with information about the performance of hospitals and compares them to others of like size. It also gives hospitals an opportunity to link with each other in order to share best practices and learn from each other.

thehealthline.ca http://www.thehealthline.ca/ Information at your fingertips - the healthline connects you to health information and services in Grey-Bruce and southwest Ontario. Search by region for health services, news, events and careers. Check the links to healthcare facilities, community organizations and services.

211 Bruce and Grey - access to Social and Community Services http://www.211grey.ca 2-1-1 is a special abbreviated telephone number reserved in Canada and the United States as an easy-to-remember three-digit telephone number meant to provide quick information and referrals to health and human service organizations.

Health Care Information Resources http://www.delicious.com/tomflem Health Care Information Resources web site formerly on the Health Sciences Library server at McMaster University. Over 8,100 links to important and useful health care internet sites. The extensive network of links to alternative and complementary health care. There are links to practically every topic in health and health care that librarians and their clients will want to explore, including: disease, healthy living, nutrition, substance abuse, nursing, surgery, bariatric medicine, aromatherapy, endometrial cancer, lesbian wellness, naturopathy, smoking cessation and many, many more.

211 access to community and Social Services http://www.211ontario.ca/ontario/topicstab.jsf 2-1-1 is a special abbreviated telephone number reserved in Canada and the United States as an easy-to-remember three-digit telephone number meant to provide quick information and referrals to health and human service organizations. Search by area code or location within the web site for local information

Safe Medication Practice http://www.safemedicationuse.ca/ The Institute for Safe Medications Practice has developed a web page for consumers to distribute medication safety information and allow patient reporting of medication incidents to the Canadian database.

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