Other Health Information Resources
Health Care Coverage
Benefits Checkup
A Service of the National Council on the Aging
Find Quality Health Care: My Health Finder
MyHealthFinder is from the Niagara Health Quality Coalition who produces the New York State Hospital Report Card. The Report Card project examines the quality of care at every New York State hospital. MyHealthFinder provides New York state patients with the information they need to find high quality care, including hospital quality information, health insurance quality reports, physician quality resources, and information on complex medical imaging procedures and long term care.
MEDLINEplus: Financial Assistance
New York State Consumer HMO Guide
This is an interactive guide for consumers to HMOs that includes tables comparing HMO performance, historical complaint data, information about HMO premiums, and tips on choosing the right HMO. There is a general guide on how to obtain health insurance, and consumer HMO and Health Insurers guides can be downloaded here. Included are consumer protection resources.
Health Care Provider Information
DocFinder
The Association of State Medical Board Executive Directors presents the AIM (Administrators in Medicine) DocFinder, a collection of links to the web pages of a number of state medical boards.
DoctorFinder (AMA)
Search by name or specialty to find basic professional information on virtually every licensed physician in the United States and its possessions. Brought to you by the American Medical Association.
Find a Doctor (NYU Medical Center)
Doctors at NYU Medical Center are members of the faculty at New York University School of Medicine, one of the nation's oldest and most distiguished medical schools. To find a doctor, search the easy-to-use online Clinician Directory, or call toll-free at 1-888-7-NYU-MED (1-888-769-8633).
Health Care Choices (HCC)
Health Care Choices is a New York not-for-profit corporation dedicated to educating the public about the nation's health care system. Their web site provides links to information about health insurance, physicians and hospitals, clinical trials, and recent legislative trends affecting health care issues.
Is Your Doctor Certified?
Is your physician a board certified specialist? The ABMS web site allows you to verify the board certification status of any physician certified by one or more of their 24 Member Boards. Registration is free but necessary.
JCAHO (Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, not-for-profit organization, JCAHO is the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.
Leapfrog Group: Information for Consumers
The Leapfrog group provides information on health care quality for consumers to compare hospitals, much like Consumer Reports. This tool allows one to compare hospitals on the basis of overall patient safety ratings and the safety of selected procedures. Leapfrog aims to make giant leaps forward in the safety, quality and affordability of health care.
Medem: Physician Finder
The member organizations of Medem, a group of the nation's leading professional medical societies, provide searchable databases of their participating physicians.
Medicare Hospital Quality Compare
Hospital Compare is a tool provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Use this tool to find information on how well hospitals care for patients with certain medical conditions or surgical procedures, and results from a survey of patients about the quality of care they received during a recent hospital stay.
New York State Physician Profile
The New York State Department of Health provides profiles for all licensed doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy who are registered to practice medicine in the state. Profiles include, at minimum, information about the doctor's education, translation services at the doctor's office, and whether any legal actions have ever been taken against the doctor.
Office of the Professions Online Verification Service (NYS)
Is your physician or other health care provider liscensed to practice in the state of New York? The New York State Department of Education's Office of the Professions provides online verification.
Interactive Health Tools
MayoClinic.com: Health Tools
Self-Assessments, calculators, quizzes, slideshows and videos, from MayoClinic.com
MEDLINEplus: Health Check Tools
Use these quizzes, calculators, self-assessments, and decision guides to check your health status
Support Groups
Arthritis
Arthritis Foundation
This website of the national non-profit organization serves as a portal for patient information, advocacy, support networks, and additional resources. Included is patient-friendly information in the following subsites: Disease Center, Surgery Center, Alternative Therapies, Self-Treatment, and Arthritis and Bracing.
National Institute of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Extensive information on the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases, including consumer/patient resources, research funding opportunities and training, and regularly updated news and events.
Disclaimer: The medical information provided is for educational purposes only. It is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your physician or health care provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.