Here is a list of online sources for PTA and other health-related research material for health students and professionals. The list is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be all-inclusive; the sites have not been researched for author credentials or accuracy in publication.
- Database: The site holds information within the website itself. Links are not required in order to gather information.
- Search Engine: The site holds information on links to other sites for gathering information. In other words, the linked sites are searchable from this address.
- Database/Search Engine: A combination of the two types listed above.
- Organization: A site for an organization related to a health topic.
The table is in alphabetical order by site address.
|www.aap.org||Organization||American Academy of Pediatrics provides access to research and current news.|
|www.access-board.gov||Database||Government information and standards on accessibility for persons with disabilities and related laws. Note: Huge amount of information.|
|www.acco.org||Organization||The American Childhood Cancer Organization has multiple formats for information, links to research, advocacy and so on.|
|www.apta.org||Organization/Database||The American Physical Therapy Association has topics for the public as well as for clinicians. Upcoming meetings, educational courses, legislative and research updates are also available.|
|www.cdc.gov||Database||Center for Disease Control. A lot of information on diseases, symptoms and outbreaks.|
|www.census.gov||Database||Government demographics on everything from population to jobs to income. (Comes in handy for research information).|
|www.cms.gov||Database/Search Engine||This is the site for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It has updates and information on Medicare, Medicaid, Balanced Budget Act, Managed Care, etc.|
|www.fda.gov||Database/Search Engine||Food and Drug Administration site with lists of newly approved devices and techniques as well as information such as medicine updates and viral outbreaks. Use specific keywords so you don’t get overwhelmed with data.|
|www.galter.northwestern.edu||Search Engine||This is the Galter Library at Northwestern University. It includes links to Medline, HealthWeb, ejournals and so on. It’s a nice starting place to find other things.|
|www.innerbody.com||Database||Excellent site for anatomy review. Allows you to view and interact with various bodily systems.|
|www.indiantrailscamp.org||Organization||Indian Trails Camp provides amazing experiences for campers with disabilities, as well as a chance for respite for families. Look at the site to see all of the fun activities. Health students may want to consider being camp counselors to enhance their knowledge and ease with this heartwarming population of children and adults.|
|www.maryfreebed.com||Organization||Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids has inpatient and outpatient departments for patients requiring physical rehabilitation services. Their site has additional information on the services available in the Mid-Michigan region.|
|www.mayo.edu||Database||The homepage for the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Information on clinical trials for many diagnoses, research and education info at your fingertips.|
|www.medicalstudent.com||Database/Search Engine||Has links to journals, organizations, patient education and anatomy review.|
|www.medicinenet.com||Database||A huge database with information on diagnoses, tests and procedures as well as many other things.|
|www.medscape.com||Database||Access to searchable full-text medical articles with links to related information, fields of study and diagnoses. There are many topics in the “Reference” section.|
|www.med.umich.edu/lrc/hypermuscle/hyper.html||Database||This page shows very simple anatomical motions in movie clips such as “What is shoulder abduction?”|
|www.med.upenn.edu||Database||University of Pennsylvania Health System. Has research articles, clinical trials and educational information.|
|www.mesotheliomagroup.com/treatment||Organization||The Mesothelioma Group is an organization with guides and other information on related cancers. They also have scholarship information available.|
|www.nationjob.com||Database||NationJob has information on job hunting, resumes and preparation for interviews and searches.|
|www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed||Database/Search Engine||An excellent research site with citations from Medline and PubMed as well as other related databases. Info from the National Library of Medicine (nlm) and National Institutes of Health (nih). There are many filters available to make searches easier.|
|www.nci.nih.gov||Organization||The National Cancer Institute’s research information and demographics department provides data on various forms of cancer.|
|www.news-line.com/pt_home||Database||PT and PTA job listings as well as other professions. There are also current field update articles, conference updates and so on.|
|www.nih.gov||Search Engine||National Institutes of Health site. Has practically unending information available on just about any topic related to health.|
|www.nlm.nih.gov||Database/Search Engine||National Library of Medicine. Includes links to Medline Plus as well as numerous other health and research information and interactive links.|
|www.nlm.nih.gov/research/visible||Database||Click on “Images and Animations” to see samples of the Visible Human Project.|
|www.physicaltherapist.com||Organization||Chats, job listings, events, library links to research journal articles — all available on this site. Features current articles/literature on changes within the field of physical therapy.|
|www.pleuralmesothelioma.com||Organization||Learn about mesothelioma and the many services available related to the condition through the resources of the Pleural Mesothelioma Center.|
|www.ptcentral.com||Database/Search Engine||Lots of informal information on PT-related topics. Note: They charge for many of the resources listed.|
|www.ptnow.org||Database||Stemming from the APTA, PTNow provides resources related to the daily needs of physical therapy clinicians.|
|www.stroke.org||Organization||The National Stroke Association has information related to CVAs, including prevention, signs and symptoms and events for awareness and fundraising to the condition.|
|www.vh.org||Database||A virtual hospital sponsored by University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Go to “Health Library” for an index to multimedia educational sources.|