Help to Locate a Physician
The best place to start looking for free health care tips is with the U.S Department of Health and Human Services at healthfinder.gov (see Resources). A great example of our tax dollars at work, this site features an alphabetical encyclopedia of health care articles in 12 different topic areas ranging from pregnancy to heart health to public health and safety. For example, in the personal health information category, it offers menu ideas, activity logs and planners and ways to assess portion sizes. You'll find sign-ups for weekly newsletters, health organization names and contact information, along with sources on how to locate a physician or dentist.
Boomer Health Information
For those folks who are a little older, age-specific free information downloads are available from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. One in particular, "The Pocket Guide to Staying Healthy at 50+," can be read at ahrq.gov (see Resources). This pamphlet offers advice on diagnosing and treating common diseases to how to talk to your doctor. You can also request printed copies that can be mailed by calling the AHRQ clearinghouse at 1-800-358-9295.
Prenatal Advise is Important
Prospective mothers can find lots of free prenatal advice at HRSA's (Health Resources and Service Administration) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (see Resources). With links and published guides both in English and Spanish, there is a variety of source information available.
Look for Advise Based on Research
Hareyan Publishing, a privately owned, independent news organization headquartered in Hickory, North Carolina, runs emaxhealth.com. This site professes to be journalist-inspired reporting of health care topics, which does not include medical diagnosis, advice or treatment. Their editorial review process means they look for timely coverage of the latest medical news and media analysis. Under their "Health and Wellness" tab you can find everything from studies done on mice to why rolling your own cigarettes is deadly.
Online Site ResearchHealthlinks.net is another consumer site service that has a directory of resources from anti-aging to women's health. A directed search using key words and its on-site search engine gives you access to thousands of articles and organization links. For example, in the Healthlink directory, you'll find links to subjects such as aerobic dance, Pilates and personal trainers.
AARP SiteThe American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has a large bank of information for members and lookie-loos alike (see Resources). Experts in affordable health care, with one of the largest lobby organizations in Washington, this group boasts a myriad of information. Finding out about health screening, how to stay active and how to understand health care reform are just some of the topics listed here. Materials rotate and are frequently updated to coincide with new laws and publications.
