Taking Care of Your Health

Health is a big issue for almost all of us. At some point in our lives, we will encounter a situation where we need to find reliable, accurate health information. Perhaps you've already found yourself in one of the following situations:

• You or a family member have been diagnosed with an illness.
• You were given a prescription but were given little information from the doctor about possible side effects.
• You don't have health insurance and need to access clinics and inexpensive dental care.

Let's explore ways to find information for these needs.

How to Find Information Following a Diagnosis of Illness

• Search the college or public library's online catalog:
  • Try a subject search to see if there are books on the illness.
  • There may be reference books that include high quality information on many illnesses such as Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment or The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
• Check the library's databases for a health database such as Consumer Health Complete.
• Check high-quality Web sites such as MedlinePlus (www.medlineplus.gov), a service of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
• Ask the librarian at the information or reference desk for assistance.

How to Find Prescription Information

• Search the library catalog for the book The Physician's Desk Reference, a standard reference book on prescription medications. It lists descriptions, side effects, contraindications, and even has photos of the medications.
• Use a high quality Web site such as PDR Health.
• Ask the librarian at the Information or Reference Desk in your college or public library for assistance.

How to Find Low-cost Medical and Dental Clinics

• Look for Web sites that are not commercial sites that list local medical information. Examples include:
  • Contra Costa Health Care Services
  • Berkeley Information Network, available through the Berkeley Public Library Web site, lists low-cost clinics, both medical and dental
• Ask the librarian at the information or reference desk at your public library.