COD Library: Consumer Health Resources: Find Health Books

Introduction

Stop being a passive patient (recipient of care). YOU. Are. Important. Your health and well-being are important. Become a proactive partner in your health & wellness journey.

This guide, created by the College of Dupage Library's Health Science Librarian, contains helpful consumer health resources and research tips. The College of DuPage and the C.O.D. Library do not create or control any of these resources, and they will not be held responsible for misuse of information or any adverse effects of recommendations stated in these resources.

Health Information should always be discussed with your health care provider, who can interpret it for you and apply it to your individual case.

Need Help?

Need research help and not sure where to turn? Get help from the library via email, chat, and online appointments or stop by one of our reference desks during open hours of operation.

Want to contact your Nursing & Health Sciences Librarian or set up a virtual or F2F appointment with her? Email Debra Smith: smithkak@cod.edu

Search the Library Catalog

Use our catalog to find books, videos, and other resources in our collections.

Advanced Search

Catalog Search Tips

When searching the Library catalog, here are some tips:

Enter the title of a book (if you know it) putting the title in quotes
Keyword search for disease/condition (to further refine your search, add AND treatment or AND diagnosis) for example: migraine AND treatment
Try a subject search for a disease/condition and add: --popular works (example: diabetes—popular works) to limit results to items designed for the general public/health consumers
Limit by publication type (eBooks, print, videos), publication date, location
The Library has print and e-books available.
Learn more about using the COD Library Catalog

General Collection

General collection materials contain:

A wide variety of resources (biographies, exercise, self-help, nutrition/cookbooks, source books, and textbooks)
Many different formats (books, audio books, e-books, videos, software)
Both fiction and nonfiction materials
Materials designed for all age groups and education levels (the very young, kids, teens, adults, seniors, students, or professionals)
You can check general collection items out and take them home!

Reference Sources

Reference materials are well indexed, up-to-date, concise, and highly credible. They provide overviews, definitions, specific information (such as causes & symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, prognosis, etc) or addresses. Types of reference books include: directories, dictionaries and encyclopedias, basic health books (describing diseases and conditions), and drug resources.

Electronic Reference

Gale eBooks
Gale eBooks is a collection of online reference books on a variety of topics including business, history, literature, health & medicine, social science, technology, and more. The inclusion of key word definitions within its concise encyclopedia entries makes this database the perfect starting point for professional and personal research.
MedlinePlus Consumer Health
MedlinePlus is the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) consumer health web portal. It contains reputable information on health topics, medical tests, drugs and supplements, genetics, the latest medical news, and more in a variety of reading levels and languages, including Spanish. Its medical encyclopedia contains images and videos. It can be linked to EHRs (Electronic Health Records) and should be the first stop when seeking health information on the internet.

Medscape Reference
An online clinical reference providing in-depth drug & disease information and tools to support clinical decision making. Content is designed for practicing medical professionals and includes diagnostic medical images. Free Registration to MedScape is required. To go straight to an entry in this resource, try Googling the word emedicine and your disease/condition (i.e. emedicine pneumonia)
Merck Manuals Consumer Version
Merck Manuals Professional Version
Merriam-Webster Online Medical Dictionary
A medical dictionary that includes audio pronunciations

Physical Reference

Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary REF R 121.D73 (Ready Reference--located at our reference desks)

Featured Titles

Already Toast

The story of one woman's struggle to care for her seriously ill husband-and a revealing look at the role unpaid family caregivers play in a society that fails to provide them with structural support.

Building Better Caregivers

Today more than 40 million people in the U.S. find themselves responsible for caring for a parent, relative, or friend. Building Better Caregivers shares the best in caregiving research and the most important lessons learned from thousands of caregivers.