Healthy Helpers for the New Year

The holidays are done and the cliché about resolutions is upon us so you may be thinking of ways to start off 2020 on a healthy note. Did you know that Mercer County Library System has a nice collection of health-oriented databases that offer more than the typical article search? We have ones that offer healthy tips and information for infants to the elderly, focused on teen health, help you select insurance, or just look up doctors or drugs. Below is part three of an eight part series highlighting our databases, focusing this month on how to find tools, information, and more in our health databases. The first two posts in this series took a look at business and finance databases and databases for kids.

Financial Ratings Series Online – this database was reviewed in full as part of the business listing, but it is worth mentioning that there are sections that cover Medigap Plans and insurance companies. The Medigap Plan section is a planner that walks you through creating a plan to fit your needs, so you know exactly what to ask for when you speak to an insurance agent.

FolioMed NJ Physicians Directory – use Mercer5 and 1252 to log on. Essentially a directory, there are sections listing area doctors, hospitals, ambulatory care centers, nursing homes, managed care organizations, group practices, and solo practices.

Health Reference Center – a comprehensive resource center for the patient, it includes tools such as a BMI calculator, descriptions of medical tests, a guide to prescription and over-the-counter drugs, sections on specific diseases, and health centers focused on women, seniors, teens, men, and children. Each topic covered offers illustrations, videos, data, references to more information, and full-text articles. There are also sections on nutrition and weight loss, a listing of professional organizations, and a list of hotlines for more help.

Health Reference Series Online – this is a virtual reference book shelf featuring the Sourcebook series from Salem Health. There are hundreds of titles covering diseases and conditions and general topics such as women’s health. In addition to health conditions, topics that impact health, such as alcohol, drugs, domestic abuse, and teen driving are featured in their books.

Health Source – Consumer Edition – a database geared toward the consumer with over 80 health periodicals (like Men’s Health and Prevention) that are written for the patient. The database also includes government publications and information published by qualified heath organizations (such as the American Heart Association). This is the perfect place to go for easy to understand resources on diseases, conditions, nutrition, and living a healthy lifestyle.

Salud en Espanol – Salud en Español provee reportes completos basados en evidencias y fichas de datos relacionados a todos los aspectos de la salud y el bienestar. Reportes específicos por tema que cubren todos los aspectos de la salud, dan información general importante en relación a enfermedades, afecciones y procedimientos de diversos tratamientos.

- Laura N., Information Technology