LibGuides: Community Health: Web Sources

Consumer Health

For reliable health information when working with clients/patients, MedlinePlus is an excellent resource. MedlinePlus includes easy-to-read handouts and more.

MedlinePlus Health Topics
Read about symptoms, causes, treatment and prevention for over 950 diseases, illnesses, health conditions and wellness issues. MedlinePlus health topics are regularly reviewed, and links are updated daily.

USA.gov

USA.gov
The U.S. government's web portal. Contains an A-Z index of government departments and agencies.

SEARCH HINTS:

Try a keyword search for your topic and/or target population.

You may wish to try including the word "South Carolina" in your search for possible state information, as USA.gov may contain state resources. This is not a guarantee you will find state data, but is a good suggestion.

Keep in mind that you may need to use synonyms when searching.

For example, another term for high blood pressure is hypertension.

Policy/Research Think Tanks (Nonpartisan)

IMPORTANT NOTE: Nonpartisan does not necessarily mean non-biased. Be sure to evaluate what you read and look to a variety of sources.

Brookings Institution
Concerned with issues at the local, state, and national level. Click on "more" in toolbar towards the top of the page for a full topic list or use the search box.
Cato Institute
Focus on "individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace." Includes research reports. Search box is helpful.
The Rand Corporation - Topics
The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest.
Urban Institute
The Urban Institute is the United States’ leading research organization dedicated to developing evidence-based insights that improve people’s lives and strengthen communities. With nearly 50 years of expertise, Urban is a trusted resource for timely, nuanced analysis of social and economic policy. In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson founded the Urban Institute to “help solve the problem that weighs heavily on the hearts and minds of all of us—the problem of the American city and its people.”

Grantmakers/Research & White Papers

Commonwealth Fund
Use 'Topics' and 'Publications & Data' as a starting point. The search box (the magnifying glass) will also be helpful.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Use the search box at the top of the page to search for possible reports on your population.
Kaiser Family Foundation
Use topic list or search box (click magnifying glass)
Pew Research - Topics
A detailed listing of Pew Research Center polling and demographic topics and subjects

Selected Government Resources

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) publishes evidence-based information on health care outcomes; quality; and cost, use, and access.
Healthy People 2030 Evidence-Based Resources
Provides access to reports and other resources, such as studies. Search by topic indicator, such as adolescent health, diabetes, and physical activity. Note that some resources are rated as higher evidence than others, so be sure to evaluate what you find.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the federal agency that is responsible for developing and applying disease prevention and control, and preparing health promotion and education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the United States.
National Institutes of Health - Institutes, Centers, & Offices

National Policy Organizations

Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
Sections on resources such as reports, government advocacy (i.e. policy statements), and research.
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
Includes resources and research such as reports as well as policy briefs.
Trust for America's Health
Includes reports and information about issues and initiatives.

Sources for Data/Statistics

In addition to these sources, try USA.gov.

Remember: Datasets may not cover the most recent years. It can take some time to compile data.

If you have questions whether a specific dataset is acceptable or not for class, please check with your professor.

Data.gov
Data.gov is primarily a federal open government data site. However, state, local, and tribal governments can also syndicate metadata describing their open data resources on Data.gov for greater discoverability.
Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
An international consortium of more than 750 academic institutions and research organizations, ICPSR maintains a data archive of more than 250,000 files of research in the social and behavioral sciences. MOST ICPSR DATASETS WILL BE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, BUT SOME MAY NOT.

Subject Guide

John Siegel

Coord. of Library Instructional Services

Contact:

864-503-5639
jsiegel2@uscupstate.edu
Office: Library 117D
Main Library: 864-503-5620

Subjects: Community Health, Exercise Science, Nursing / Health, Psychology, Sociology / Women's Studies / Gender Studies

Google Search Tips and Tricks

Google Tips and Tricks: Better Searches. Better Results. (PDF)