Health: Home
When it comes to questions about health, reliable resources are critical. Start your health information search here.
Being informed about health topics can help you play an active role in your own health care or help you support someone else.
- learn how to evaluate health information you find - check out the "Search Smart for Health Information" section on this page
- find out about different reliable health information sources - about basic questions and for in-depth research
- learn about different health tests and screening
- find information about health care services and providers, and patient safety and rights
Of course, we are always happy to search for you. Please Ask Us!
Keep informed - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
SEARCH SMART for Health Information
4 Questions to Ask About Health Information
- Who is saying it?
- Why are they saying it?
- When did they say it?
- How do they know?
- HANDOUT Search Smart - 4 Questions to Ask About Health InformationLearn more about what to look for when you ask questions about health information.
- How to evaluate health information on the internet: questions and answersThese questions expand on Winnipeg Public Library's "4 Questions to Ask." Source: U.S. National Institutes of Health
Start your search here
- Medline Plus
MedlinePlus is a service of the United States National Library of Medicine - the world's largest medical library. It is an excellent place to start your search for information about almost any health topic. The site provides 40,000+ links from over 1,600 reliable sources. There are also basic articles about health topics, as well as drug, supplement and medical test information.
- Kids Health
KidsHealth is a site produced by the Nemours Foundation, a child health non-profit organization in the United States. KidsHealth is useful for learning basic information about many child and teen health and development-related topics. Separate sections of the site are specifically written for children and teens.
Health Conditions
- Mayo Clnic
The Mayo Clinic is a hospital in Rochester, New York that is consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the United States. They share a wide range of patient information on their website. Look under "Patient Care and Health Info" for basic information about diseases and conditions, tests and procedures, drugs and supplements.
- Patient Education Handouts
Librarians with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's Virtual Library have produced a series of patient handouts that list resources to learn more about different health topics. Each handouts lists websites and books, often sourced from Winnipeg Public Library. EAL HANDOUTS: you will also find handouts that point to resources about health topics in many languages other than English.
Drugs and Supplements
- RxTx This link opens in a new window
*To use this resource, log-in with you valid Winnipeg Public Library card number.* RxTx is the Canadian standard for drug information. It is edited by the Canadian Pharmacists Association and provides information about thousands of drugs, vaccines and natural health products.
- Drugs, Herbs and SupplementsLearn why something is prescribed, how it should be used, special precautions to take, dietary instructions, information about skipped dosages and side effects. Source: Medline Plus, U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Licensed Natural Health Products Database
Learn about a product's: medicinal and non-medicinal ingredients; dosage; recommended use or health claim; cautions, warnings, contra-indications and known adverse reactions. Source: Health Canada
Nutrition
- Latest version 2019 - Canada's Food Guide
Canada's Food Guide was updated in 2019. TIP: look under the "Resources" section for more information, including: handouts, EAL materials, prenatal nutrition and the evidence behind the Guide.
- Canadian Nutrient FileUse the Canadian Nutrient File to find out the exact nutrients in a particular food. Search by food or by nutrient. TIP #1: when looking at a record for a food, click on "Generate Nutrient Profile" to see the information. TIP #2: On the "Search by nutrient" page select a nutrient from the menu and then select which type of food you are interested in (or search all foods).
- Eat Right Ontario
Meal plans, recipes, videos, and nutrition information for different health conditions. Eat Right Ontario is helpful place to begin learning. TIP: look under "Browse by Topic".
