Healthfinder.gov

Healthfinder.gov
Another starting point for consumers seeking reliable health information can be found at http://www.healthfinder.gov/. This site from the United States Department of Health and Human Services has resources on a wide range of health topics selected from over 1,600 government and non-profit organizations. Coordinated by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) and its health information referral service, the National Health Information Center, this site is paid for by U.S. Government funds and does not accept paid advertisements, content or links. The information is also available in a Spanish version. The homepage of this easy-to-navigate site features several main sections, outlined below:

Quick Guide to Healthy Living
The Quick Guide to Healthy Living section focuses on important things you can do to stay healthy, such as eating a healthy diet, being active, getting recommended screenings, not smoking, and watching your weight. It offers basic, easy-to-understand information on each topic, including the benefits you’ll get from taking recommended actions and tips on how you can take action.
There’s even a customizable feature myhealthfinder, which allows you to get personalized health recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force based on age, sex, and pregnancy status.

Personal Health Tools
Personal Health Tools offers free interactive tools to help you and those you care about stay healthy. Here you’ll find:

• Online Checkups—Take a quiz to learn about your health and lifestyle. Find out if you are at risk for a disease or condition.
• Activity and Menu Planners—Use these tools to track your physical activity and diet goals.
• Health Calculators—Estimate body mass index, calorie intake, target heart rate, pregnancy due date, and more.
• Watch and Listen—Hear and see videos, podcasts, and slideshows to learn about common health and wellness topics.

Health A-Z
Browse Health A-Z topics to find hand-picked resources from government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and universities. You’ll find information on over 1,600 health-related topics from abdominal pain to facts about the dietary supplement, zinc.

Health News
healthfinder.gov offers you several ways to get health news and stay informed:
• Today’s Headlines—the latest health stories in the news.
• e-News and RSS—daily health news plus updates on new site features sent directly to your computer.
• News Archives—articles that have appeared on healthfinder.gov over the past 12 months.
• Weekly Newsletters—top news stories from 12 popular weekly health newsletters

Find Services and Information
Find Services and Information can help you find a doctor, dentist or other health provider, a health center or clinic, a public library, or health care organization in your community

Other Fun Features
Popular Requests explores the most requested searches for health information, health care services, and more.
National Health Observances information and media toolkits
Send a health E-card to a friend or loved one.
Add a health widget to your blog or website.

Healthfinder also offers tutorials on how to navigate the site and find the health information you need.

Contributed by C.A.R.