Consumer Health Resources

Welcome to Brown University Library's guide to consumer health information. This guide is intended to provide you with important and reliable health information and guidelines for evaluating health/medical information. The guide also provides information and resources for the purposes of health information education. 

This guide is not a substitute for visiting a doctor about health concerns or medical conditions. 

Get access to information specific to healthcare and consumer health in Rhode Island and learn more about accessing healthcare at a reduced cost. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Consumer Health Basics from the Mayo Clinic

Consumer Health Resources in Many Languages 

FDA Consumer Website

Healthfinder.gov 

Kaiser Family Foundation

MLA Top Health Websites

MerckEngage

National Institutes of Health

National Library of Medicine

US Department of Health and Human Services 

Veterans Health Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs

World Health Organization

Some easy tips for evaluating online health information:

• Don't use a regular Google Search, instead use one of the databases or resources on this site. 
• Avoid .com websites because they could be misleading in favor of profit.
• Check an author's credentials to determine whether they are a health professional associated with a legitimate institution. 
• Look for publication dates and decide whether the information updated. 

The websites listed below also have great information about finding quality health information.