Submitted by Patricia E. Powers and Ophelia T. Morey, Health Sciences Library, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY; edited by Terry Ann Jankowski, AHIP
As Go Local’s operations come to a close, where should health care consumers go online for trustworthy directories of government health care services? The Internet has many avenues for this. In addition to keyword searches in search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, or Bing, there are directory sites that have commercial or government sponsorship. Consumers should also be encouraged to consult the online service listings of local and state health departments. The following is a chart of selected government-sponsored online directories of health care professionals, presenting a basic description of the type and source of information that they provide to health care consumers.
Directory Name/URL |
Description |
Data Source |
Frequency of Updates |
Information Provided |
DIRLINE is a directory of organizations and other resources in health and biomedicine. It can be searched using subject words (such as disease or condition), including Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), or the name or location of a resource. It also includes an A–Z list of more than 8,500 organizations. |
Division of Specialized Information Services, National Library of Medicine |
When available, on or shortly after the 28th of each month |
Provides address, telephone number, website, abstract or description, organizational type, MeSH terms, and other keywords. |
|
Eldercare Locator provides links to state and local agencies on aging and community-based organizations that serve older adults and their caregivers. |
US Administration on Aging, Department of Health and Human Services, and National Association of Area Agencies on Aging |
Not reported on the website |
Minimum data include name, address, email, website, telephone number, and hours of operation. |
|
Find a Health Center is a searchable directory of federally funded health care centers, hospitals, nursing homes, and other health facilities that will provide free or reduced cost health care. Search by address, county, or state for health care centers, or browse a list of other heath facilities. See also Get Health Care. |
Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services |
Not reported on the website |
Provides institutional name, address, telephone number, website, driving directions, and map for health care centers. List of health facilities is organized alphabetically, by city and state. |
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This database includes more than 1,400 organizations and government offices that provide health information upon request. It allows searching in title, keyword, city, or state fields, or can be browsed by keyword. |
National Health Information Center, US Department of Health and Human Services |
Data are edited and revised periodically |
Entries include contact information, short abstracts, and information about publications and services the organizations provide. |
|
This tool offers links to sites that are affiliated with the US government or with national health care organizations. These sites provide links to directories of health care professionals and health care facilities at the local and regional level. |
National Health Information Center, US Department of Health and Human Services |
Data are reviewed every 24 months |
The site includes links to lists of health care providers and organizations and search tools for locating providers and organizations. |
|
Medicare: Healthcare Provider Directory and Resource Locator |
The Healthcare Provider Directory includes physicians and other health care professionals, such as physical therapists, who are currently enrolled in Medicare. A search by zip code or city and state will retrieve local information about providers. The site’s Resource Locator can help find data on local and regional health care facilities. |
Medicare’s Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) and the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) |
A month after PECOS is updated |
Minimum data provided are name, address, telephone number specialty, and location. Additional information may include education, practice affiliation, and foreign languages spoken. |
MedlinePlus provides links to US government and national health care organizations. The listed sites offer directories of health care professionals, services, and facilities at the national, local, and regional level. |
The data in this website’s directories originate from several sources; the data source that is used depends on the criteria of the organization that sponsors the directory |
While the website’s pages and links are validated and updated daily, the updating of data within individual directories depends on the schedule of the sponsoring organization |
Minimum data provided about each health care professional are name, location, and specialty. Additional information provided is based on criteria utilized by a directory’s sponsoring organization. |
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Developed and maintained by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), this is an online resource for locating drug and alcohol abuse treatment programs. Use the US map to locate private and public facilities that are licensed, certified, or otherwise approved for inclusion by their state’s substance abuse agency and treatment facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Indian Health Service, and the Department of Defense. |
SAMHSA compiles the data from its annual survey of treatment facilities |
Data are updated weekly, as provided |
The minimum data provided about any treatment facility are name, address, telephone number, website, and description of available care. |
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This locator provides comprehensive information about mental health services and resources and is useful for professionals and consumers and their families. Use the US map locator to access links by state, to city and regional directories of mental health care services. |
Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration |
Not reported on the website |
Minimum data provided for mental health facilities or services are name, address, telephone number, website, and type of care available. Includes map to facility. |
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Information is categorized for browsing by state and administration and can also be accessed via an interactive map of the United States. |
VA editors and administrators |
Maintained on a regular basis |
A zip code search yields a list of convenient facilities, with addresses, distance from the zip code, and links to the facilities’ individual websites; or click on the map for the same information by state. |
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