Health@CLRC
Health@CLRC WebinarAbout Health@CLRC
CLRC provides library services to small hospitals that would otherwise be unable to support a Librarian on staff. Services include:
- reference,
- collection management,
- continuing education, and
- on-site visits.
CLRC also represents member hospitals when negotiating consortial database pricing and resource sharing. Medical librarians from the Upstate Health Sciences Library answer reference questions and coordinate continuing education.
For information regarding the current pandemic visit CLRC’s COVID-19 Resources & Updates page.
The New York State Library provides funding for the provision of medical and consumer health information services for all types of libraries and library systems. These funds are administered regionally by the Empire State Library Network (ESLN) of New York State.
The Medical Information Services Program (MISP) is most commonly used to subsidize payments for charges for medical interlibrary loans/document delivery from libraries in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) and from the National Library of Medicine.
CLRC libraries and library systems may use the MISP funds for:
General Sources
MedlinePlus, from the National Institutes of Health, provides easy-to-find health information that is reliable, free, and doesn’t try to sell you anything. It has text, audio, and video information on medical symptoms, conditions, and research as well as information about prescription drugs and supplements. There is also a dictionary and a section on understanding medical terms.
Pills and Supplements
Forgot what that orange pill you found at the bottom of your purse is? If you don’t find it with Pillbox, try Pill ID Wizard. You can search by color, shape, or imprint.
About Herbs, Botanicals, and Other Products
Evidence-based information on herbs, botanicals, vitamins, supplements, and more.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
This National Institutes of Health organization researches alternative medicine from herbs and supplements to acupuncture and massage.
Get the latest on drug recalls, withdrawals, and safety alerts.
Healthy Living
Choose My Plate, a service of the USDA, offers advice for healthy eating, getting enough physical activity, and age-specific nutrition pages.
Easy-to-Read Health Information
MedlinePlus Easy-to-Read An A-Z listing of health materials and tutorials in an easy-to-read format. Understanding Medical Words A tutorial to teach you about medical terms.
New York State Web sites
Shop, compare, and enroll in a health insurance plan. Includes a premium and tax credit estimator.
The NYS Hospital Profile provides quality-of-care ratings for the hospitals in your area. Click your county on the map and choose a hospital to find out how big it is, if it will perform the procedure you need, or if it’s been cited for violations.
NYS Nursing Home Profile rates the quality of care at nursing homes in your area. Select your county to see a list of nursing homes. Select a home to see official state ratings, complaints brought against the facility, and any corrective actions taken.
Physicians Profile can help you find a doctor by name, speciality, or services offered. Each profile contains information about the doctor’s education, practice, legal history, and professional activities.
You can compare prices at pharmacies in your area of the 150 most frequently prescribed drugs in the state. NOTE: Some smaller, locally owned pharmacies have not reported their prices to the database.
Though not run by NY state, this site allows you to look up drug prices within a specific, city or zip code, so if you don’t find it at NYS Prescription, try here.
Sources for Seniors
NIA’s Health Information is a gateway to information for older citizens who want to know more about topics to improve and maintain their health. There are A to Z health topics, nutrition and exercise options, help for caregivers, and more.
The National Institute on Aging offers tips and encouragement for older adults so they can keep active and healthy throughout their life time.
Benefits Checkup can help you find government health benefits. By answering a few questions about your household, income, and assets, you can find what benefits you may qualify for, and be linked to their Web sites quickly. While there are many resources for seniors, members of other groups can find assistance as well.
Medicare Physician Compare helps you find health care professionals accepting Medicare in your area. You can search by specialty as well as gender.
Caring.com is a resource and support center for caregivers. It has financial, health, and legal information as well as a community forum for caregivers to find answers and support. Perhaps the most useful part of the site, however, is the senior care ratings database. Community members share their opinions on care facilities’ cleanliness, staff attitude, medical expertise, and much more!
Sources for Kids, Teens and Parents
KidsHealth, run by Nemours Children’s Hospital, has information for parents, kids, and teens. The pages are colorful and easy to use, and the main pages have featured questions like “How can I balance a part-time job and school?”
Healthy Children, a service of the American Academy of Pediatrics. has kids’ health info along with an e-mail list for news and updates on breakthroughs in childrens’ health.
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
The AACAP provides mental health information for issues affecting kids and teens. Click on “Resource Centers” on the homepage to find facts on different mental health conditions.
Kids’ Quest: On Disability and Health
Kids’ Quest is run by the CDC and has several different “quests” to help children learn about some of the most common disabilities. Each quest starts with a quiz to see what kids already know, and then it provides facts, Web sites with more information, movie and book recommendations, and ways to support people with that given disability.
BAM! uses animation to teach kids about their bodies, diseases, safety and healthy lifestyles. Older kids can probably view the site on their own, but younger ones may need some help reading the information and understanding how the activities work.
Go Ask Alice!, from Columbia University offers older teens and young adults a place to ask health questions. Many questions have already been answered, so it’s best to search the topics section first. There’s also a section with quizzes, games, polls, and other fun activities. NOTE: May contain adult content.
Sources for Veterans
My Health-E-Vet is the VA’s all-in-one online resource for veterans. By creating an account, you’ll have access to many of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ services right at your fingertips. You can keep track of your health records; find a VA facility; get help with physical, mental, and emotional troubles; and connect with other veterans in your community!
Military OneSource, from the Department of Defense, contains resources for active members of the military including life in the armed forces, health issues, helping family members adjust, financial and career help, and crisis assistance.
This Web page contains resources for Veterans to find immediate help, along with a list of common mental health topics. You can also find nearby VA centers, and take anonymous screening tests for different mental health problems, such as depression and substance abuse.
Veterans’ Health Information Clearinghouse
The Veterans’ Health Information Clearinghouse has resources specifically for New York residents, including local hotlines and state Web sites.
Mobile Websites and Apps
A comprehensive list of all government mobile apps divided by category.
My Fitness Pal helps you meet your health goals by keeping track of your daily food intake and exercise. There is nutritional information for thousands of meals (including popular restaurants), and the app breaks down your daily eating habits to let you know which type of nutrients you’re lacking (and which you should probably cut back on). The exercise database lists the calories burned for everything from walking to water-skiing.
Information for Non-English Speakers
Multi-Lingual Health Information
A good jumping-off point to government Web sites with resources in multi-languages, including MedlinePlus, NIH, EthnoMed, Health Information Translations, and iSpeak cards
Mental Health
LGBTQ Health
COVID-19
The World Health Organization is gathering the latest scientific finds and knowledge on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and compiling it in a database for medical professionals.
Questions
Current Health@CLRC Members:
- Email your health information questions to health@clrc.org.
- Call 315-464-4581 to speak to a Medical Librarian.
Interesting in joing Health@CLRC?
Contact Ryan Perry at rperry@clrc.org for more information!
Borrowing Card
Are you a medical professional?
Would you like free access to hundreds of medical journals?
Just sign up for a
Physician’s Borrower’s Card
at the NY State Library
Fill it out, fax it in, and find your favorite journal at your fingertips.
More instructions here.
Important Information
This information is intended to be used in partnership with advice from your doctor or other health care professional. Any and all materials supplied by the CLRC are for informational purposes only. The CLRC and their personnel are not giving medical opinion, advice, or care.
This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHS-N-276-2011-00003-C with the University of Pittsburgh, Health Sciences Library System.
For more information, please visit the National Network of the Libraries of Medicine – Region 7.
**We do not accept unsolicited requests for additions to this webpage.**