General sites:

• BC HealthGuide
  A free consumer health information initiative, funded by the Ministry of Health, serving all British Columbia residents; includes:
  • BC HealthGuide Online - linking you to a comprehensive and current knowledgebase addressing more than 2500 common health topics, tests and procedures including information on health topics covered in the BC HealthGuide Handbook.
  • BC HealthGuide Handbook - information on how to recognize, prevent, and seek appropriate treatment for dozens of common health concerns.
  • BC HealthGuide NurseLine puts you in touch with registered nurses who can help you address your family's health concerns with confidence any time, day or night.
• Canadian Health Network
  "A new and growing network, bringing together resources of leading Canadian health organizations and international health information providers. The resources identified here will help you take care of yourself and the people you care about - with tips on how to improve your health and well-being. Through the CHN, health intermediaries will find an array of resources on prevention and health promotion."
• Health Canada Online
  Provides a wealth of Canadian health information, including federal programs, initiatives, news releases and warnings, as well as links to associations and publications. See also their Health Promotion Online, as well as Real Health, their new online magazine.
• Canadian Consumer Information Gateway
  Canada's online gateway to consumer information from more than 25 federal government departments and agencies. Includes sections on food, environment, health, safety, and more.
• HealthyWay
  Canadian consumer health information from Sympatico.
• Medbroadcast.com
  Canadian consumer health information site; includes multimedia presentations on health topics, message boards, health channels, online support groups, health news, and more.
• MEDLINEplus
  MEDLINEplus will direct you to information to help answer health questions. MEDLINEplus brings together, by health topic, authoritative information from NLM, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), other government, non-profit and other health-related organizations. Preformulated MEDLINE searches are included in MEDLINEplus and give easy access to the medical research literature.
• Healthfinder.gov
  Links to consumer health sites and documents created by the U.S. government.
• NHSDirect Online
  Consumer health site by the U.K.'s National Health Service.
  

• B.C. Health Regulatory Organizations - information for consumers about the regulation of health care professionals; includes contact information for B.C. regulatory organizations. For Web links to some of these organizations, see the B.C. Health Sites page.
  
• B.C. Cancer Agency - information for patients and the community.
• Canadian Cancer Society - British Columbia and Yukon Division
• Virtual Reference Desk (Public Libraries of B.C.) - search on "health" or browse specific health topics
• Information for Patients - from the Iowa Health Book
  
• Merck Manuals - three online medical reference books:
  • Merck Manual of Medical Information, Home Edition - both text and interactive versions
  • Merck Manual of Geriatrics, 3rd ed., 2000
  • Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 17th ed.
• Peace of Mind (resources for people coping with long term care issues in B.C.'s lower mainland)
• Translated Health Education Materials
  A database project that provides access to translated health education materials online; searchable by categories, agencies, or languages. Funded by the British Columbia Ministry of Health, the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Vancouver Foundation and the Partner Agencies.
• Women's Health Matters
  Launched by the Centre for Research in Women’s Health and the Women’s College Campus, of Sunnybrook & Women’s College Health Sciences Centre, Toronto. Aims to focus on women’s health issues and to offer reliable, evidence-based and up-to-date information on topics such as cancer, cardiovascular health and osteoporosis. It profiles women’s health experts from the two organizations, features the latest developments in women’s health research and provides an extensive directory of Canadian women’s health resources.
  

Last Revised: 21 July 2005