Web-based resources for retrieving health policy information: NLM and beyond

Area of Science:

• Health Policy Research
• Information Science
• Public Health Informatics

Background:

• The health policy community requires accessible and comprehensive information resources.
• Existing resources are often fragmented across various platforms and formats.
• Effective health policy development relies on timely access to relevant data and analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and categorize valuable web-based resources for the health policy community.
• To provide a structured overview of information sources for health policy development and analysis.
• To highlight key resources from governmental and academic institutions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic identification of web-based resources relevant to health policy.
• Classification of resources into categories: traditional/grey literature, statistical/epidemiological data, and legal/legislative material.
• Compilation of resources from major health information organizations and government agencies.

Main Results:

• Identified a range of web-based resources including literature, data, and legal/legislative materials.
• Highlighted National Library of Medicine (NLM) resources such as MEDLINE, DIRLINE, HealthSTAR, HSRProj, and HSTAT.
• Featured resources from the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), and Library of Congress.

Conclusions:

• Web-based resources offer significant value for health policy research and development.
• A categorized approach aids in navigating the complex landscape of health policy information.
• Collaboration between institutions like NLM and other agencies enhances resource accessibility.