Health and Wellness: A Research Guide

Knowledge about therapies, medication, remedies, nutrition, and fitness empower patients to make better health and lifestyle decisions. Health information also allows patients to have more meaningful dialogue with their health care providers. The resources below provide a starting point for researchers as they begin to search for health information. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library’s catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.

Some of these web sites are external to CFCC. The owners of these web sites are responsible for their content, including their links to other sites on the World Wide Web. CFCC has not necessarily reviewed this site and assumes no responsibility for the Contents, nor does this “Link” imply endorsement of the site.

Web Sites

Healthfinder. Washington, DC: Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — www.healthfinder.gov
Gateway consumer health information Web site from the United States Government.

Medical Encyclopedia (From MedlinePlus) — www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/encyclopedia.html
Access to articles about diseases, tests, symptoms, injuries, and surgeries. It also contains an extensive library of medical photographs and illustrations.

PDRHealth — www.gettingwell.com
Consumer information from the Physicians’ Desk Reference about detecting, preventing, and treating a variety of medical conditions. Includes disease overviews, drug information, and clinical trials.

WebMD — www.webmd.com
Includes articles, medical information, doctor and clinic search, health and wellness, and online tools.

PHCC Useful Websites for Students — http://www.phcc.edu/library/links.php#health
Links to nursing, medical and health sciences sites…Excellent Gateway!

Databases - (See Handout: How to Find Books and Full-Text Articles)

CINAHL Plus Full Text (EBSCO)

Clinical Pharmacology (EBSCO)

Health and Wellness Resource Center (Gale)

Health Reference Center Academic (Gale)

Health Source: Consumer Edition (EBSCO)

Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition (EBSCO)

MEDLINE via FirstSearch (OCLC)

Physicians Desk Reference (PDR) (Micromedex)

Pre-CINAHL (EBSCO)

PsycArticles (EBSCO)

Reference Books

The Alternative Medicine Handbook: The Complete Reference Guide to Alternative and Complementary Therapies by Barrie R. Cassileth. New York: W. W. Norton, 1998. ISBN: 0393045668.     Ocala   R733.C375 1998
Describes some of the most popular alternative therapies. Each therapy is discussed in terms of its origins, the reasons practitioners say it works, some reference to scientific evidence, and a listing of resources.

The American Medical Association Family Medical Guide, 3rd ed. edited by Charles B. Clayman. New York: Random House, 1994. ISBN: 0679412905. Citrus RC81.A543 1994
Explanations of more than 650 diseases and disorders, practical advice about preventive health care, up-to-date discussion of timely health issues.
Also available on CD-ROM. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1996. ISBN: 0789402971.

Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition edited by Michèle J. Sadler, James J. Strain, and Benjamin Caballero. 3 vols. San Diego: Academic Press, 1999. ISBN: 0122266943. Ocala REF QP141. E526 1999
Cover the scientific, political, and social aspects of nutrition including individual nutrients and foods, anatomy and physiology, nutritional therapy for diseases and conditions.

Encyclopedia of Nutrition and Good Health, 2nd ed. by Robert A. Ronzio. New York: Facts On File, 2003. ISBN: 0816049661.   Citrus   REF RA 784.R646 2003
Foods, their ingredients, and nutritional values are described. Specific diets (Atkins, Mediterranean) are discussed objectively, with the basic premise of the diet explained along with its pros and cons. Entries on foods and the components implicated in diseases and disorders explain how and why the problem occurs and offer dietary recommendations.

The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, 2nd ed. edited by Kristine M. Krapp and Jacqueline L. Longe. 4 vols. Detroit: Gale Group, 2004. ISBN: 0787674249. Ocala REF R733.G34 2005
Contains 750 alphabetically arranged articles covering 157 therapies, 238 diseases and conditions, and 306 herbs and other remedies. Includes illustrations, photographs, glossary and biographies of important practitioners.

Health Care Terms, 4th ed. by Vergil N. Slee, Debora A. Slee, and H. Joachim Schmidt. St. Paul, MN: Tringa Press, 2001. ISBN: 1889458023.    Ocala   RA423. S545 2001
Definitions of nonmedical terms relating to the health care industry in the United States. Listings include, for example, professional associations, new procedures and therapies, diagnostic terms, providers, legal terms, types of coverage, and government regulations.

Subject Headings

alternative medicine—handbooks, manuals, etc.
complementary therapies—handbooks
diagnosis—popular works
diet and nutrition
family—health and hygiene
fitness
health—popular works
medicine—popular works
prevention
self-care
smoking cessation