Medical Information in TexShare Databases
Scope:
This pathfinder is intended to guide librarians working in small and rural libraries to medical information in the TexShare databases. It provides options for meeting some of the most common medical information needs expressed by library users.
Disclaimer :
This information has been compiled by library professionals and is not intended to be used as a tool for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. Only a doctor can diagnose a condition and prescribe appropriate treatment. If you feel you have a medical condition that requires treatment, please see a health care provider.
Where can I find information about the latest medical topic being widely covered in the popular media?
Health and Wellness Resource Center
Clicking on the Health News Quick Start button will take you to a list of recent articles about health topics from national and international newspapers. From this page, you can click on the Search the News button to conduct keyword searches for articles about particular topics. This search gives you the option of limiting by date or newspaper.
This database covers a broad range of subjects and indexes both popular
and scholarly periodicals. It opens to the Advance Search keyword searching
option. Enter your search terms into the Find box. Select your search fields
from the drop down menu (default fields include author, title, abstract,
keywords, and subjects) and search. You can limit your search by published
date if you are looking for recent information.
Where can I find definitions for medical terms?
Health and Wellness Resource Center
Clicking on the Medical Dictionary Quick Start button will allow you to
search Mosby’s Medical, Nursing and Allied Health
Dictionary.
Where can I find information, including side effects and warnings, about prescription and over-the-counter medications?
Health and Wellness Resource Center
Clicking on the Drug Finder Quick Start button will allow you to search
for information about specific medications.
Many library patrons want to read general articles about medical conditions that they or their family members have been recently diagnosed with. Where can I find material appropriate for this purpose?
Health and Wellness Resource Center
Clicking on the Medical Encyclopedia Quick Start button will take you to
an alphabetical list of numerous medical conditions and diseases. Clicking
on the name of a condition or disease will take you to an encyclopedia
article about that topic.
Health Reference Center Academic
This database provides information from general interest health and fitness magazines, medical and professional periodicals, and select reference materials. It opens to the Keyword Search option but you can also search from the Advanced Search option or the Subject Guide Search, depending on the specificity of your information needs. The Subject Guide Search provides information organized by format, including overviews and pamphlets, allowing patrons to pick which type of resources might best suit their needs.
Some library patrons would like to contact organizations that provide information about or treatments for specific medical conditions. Where can I find a listing and contact information for national and local health organizations?
Health and Wellness Resource Center
Clicking on the Health Organization Quick Start button will allow you to
search for specific organizations or by health topic. This search also
allows you to limit your search by location, organization type, and
information source type.
Where can I find health assessment tools such as calculators and risk assessments?
Health and Wellness Resource Center
Clicking on the Health Assessment Quick Start button will take you to a
list of health assessment tools.
A medical professional in our community needs access to the latest research in his or her field. Where can I find this information?
MedLine with MeSH (Medical Subject Headings)
This database offers many searching options. It opens to the Advanced
Search keyword searching screen, which will probably be the most direct
searching method for most patrons. Type your search terms into the Find box.
Choose your search field (using the default fields searches the title,
abstract, author, and MeSH terms as well as several other major search
fields) and search.
Where can I find information for community college and university students who are using library resources to complete their course assignments?
MedLine with MeSH (Medical Subject Headings)
This database offers many searching options. It opens to the Advanced
Search keyword searching screen, which will probably be the most direct
searching method for most patrons. Type your search terms into the Find box.
Choose your search field (using the default fields searches the title,
abstract, author, and MeSH terms as well as several other major search
fields) and search.
This database provides medical and professional periodicals, as well as general interest health publications and select reference materials. You can limit searches by date, by journal and to articles with text or conduct a straightforward keyword search by entering terms into the entry box.
High school and middle school students often need information about health issues for school assignments. Where can I find information appropriate for their level?
Click on the Science and Health Search option. Select Health from the first drop down menu. Enter your search term (keyword) into the box.
What are some additional resources?
Some additional online resources for medical information include the following:
AMA Physician Select : http://dbapps.ama-assn.org/aps/amahg.htm
Go Ask Alice : http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu
The Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention : http://www.yourdiseaserisk.harvard.edu
Mayo Clinic : http://www.mayoclinic.org
Medline Plus : http://www.medlineplus.gov
MedWeb : http://www.medweb.emory.edu/MedWeb/
Texas Department of State Health Services : http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/default.shtm
This page was written by Leanna Miles in Spring 2005.
This page was revised by Amelia Brunskill in Spring 2006.
This page was revised by Kyla Kothman in Spring 2007.
INF 382S: Library Instruction and Information Literacy, taught by Dr. Loriene Roy
School of Information,
The University of Texas at Austin