The web offers vast amount of health information, but it can be difficult to know what's reliable. At Archimedes, our priority is your well-being. We've compiled a list of trusted websites to help you find accurate and helpful information about your health condition.
Health Information on the Web
Target Audience: The general public.
Cost: Free
Account Required: No.
Advertising: None.
Data Collection: Wikipedia's privacy policy is designed to protect user anonymity and does not collect personal data for commercial purposes.
Unique Features: A massive, collaborative encyclopedia. While not a primary source, its medical articles are a useful starting point for understanding a topic. Its value lies in the extensive hyperlinking and references that often point to more authoritative sources like those listed above.
Target Audience: Primarily medical professionals, researchers, and students.
Cost: Free to access.
Account Required: No, but some features (like saving searches or setting up alerts) may require a free My NCBI account.
Advertising: None.
Data Collection: PubMed does not collect personal information from users for advertising purposes. It's a service of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), which has a strong privacy policy.
Unique Features: It's a vast database of biomedical literature, including millions of citations from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. It is the go-to resource for finding peer-reviewed scientific articles and abstracts.
Target Audience: The general public.
Cost: Free to access.
Account Required: No.
Advertising: None.
Data Collection: As a service of the National Library of Medicine, it does not collect personal data from users for commercial purposes.
Unique Features: Provides easy-to-understand health information on diseases, conditions, and wellness issues. It also includes an encyclopedia, a drug information resource, and links to clinical trials. The content is carefully reviewed by the NLM.
Target Audience: Medical professionals
Cost: Requires a free account.
Account Required: Yes.
Advertising: Yes. The site contains advertising, often from pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers.
Data Collection: The site collects user data, which is used to personalize content and marketing, as well as for research and analytics.
Unique Features: Provides a wide range of content, including breaking medical news, drug and disease information, CME (Continuing Medical Education) and CE (Continuing Education) courses.
Target Audience: Three versions: "Professional" version, "Consumer" version and “Veterinarian” version
Cost: Free to access.
Account Required: No.
Advertising: No. The Merck Manuals are a public service provided by the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., Inc. and are free of ads.
Data Collection: The site's privacy policy indicates it collects minimal data, primarily for site functionality and to understand usage patterns. It is not an ad-driven model.
Unique Features: Offers a comprehensive, unbiased, and easy-to-use medical reference tool. The clear distinction between the professional and consumer versions ensures that each audience gets content tailored to their needs.
Target Audience: The general public.
Cost: Free.
Account Required: No, but some features (like personalized health tools) may require a free account.
Advertising: Yes. Advertising from pharmaceutical companies, medical centers, and other health-related businesses.
Data Collection: Yes. It collects user data for various purposes, including advertising and analytics. It's important for users to be aware of their privacy policy.
Unique Features: A very well-known and user-friendly site with a symptom checker, drug and supplement information, and an extensive library of health articles and slideshows.
Target Audience: Laypeople, patients, and caregivers with rare diseases, as well as medical professionals.
Cost: Free to access.
Account Required: No.
Advertising: The site is a non-profit organization and does not have advertising in the traditional sense.
Data Collection: The organization does collect some data for its patient advocacy programs and research, particularly through its IAMRARE® platform, but this is done with patient privacy as a top priority.
Unique Features: A leading authority on rare diseases. It provides detailed reports on thousands of rare disorders, a comprehensive database of patient assistance programs, and information on clinical trials specifically for rare conditions.
Target Audience: The general public.
Cost: Free.
Account Required: No, but some features (like personalized health tools) may require a free account.
Advertising: Yes. Advertising from pharmaceutical companies, medical centers, and other health-related businesses.
Data Collection: Yes. It collects user data for various purposes, including advertising and analytics. It's important for users to be aware of their privacy policy.
Unique Features: A very well-known and user-friendly site with a symptom checker, drug and supplement information, and an extensive library of health articles and slideshows.
Target Audience: Primarily medical professionals, especially students and those preparing for board exams.
Cost: Offers a mix of free and paid content. Many articles are free, but premium content, including question banks and CME courses, requires a subscription.
Account Required: Yes
Advertising: Yes. The free articles may contain advertising.
Data Collection: The site collects user data as part of its business model to provide personalized learning experiences and for marketing.
Unique Features: A vast, rapidly growing library of medical articles, each paired with a question bank. Its content is designed to be concise and focused on high-yield information, making it a favorite for board exam preparation.
Target Audience: Medical professionals.
Cost: Free version is available, but a paid subscription ("Epocrates Plus") is required for full features.
Account Required: Yes
Advertising: Yes, in the free version.
Data Collection: Yes
Unique Features: A popular mobile app for clinicians. Its core features include a pill identifier, drug interaction checker, and comprehensive drug monographs. The paid version includes additional content like disease information and lab guides.
Target Audience: Both medical professionals and laypeople.
Cost: Free
Account Required: No.
Advertising: None.
Data Collection: The site focuses on providing information rather than collecting data for commercial purposes.
Unique Features: The website of the renowned Mayo Clinic. It offers a wealth of patient-friendly content on diseases, symptoms, and treatments, written and reviewed by their medical experts. It also provides detailed information for professionals, including research and clinical trials.
Target Audience: Public health officials, medical professionals, and the general public.
Cost: Free
Account Required: No.
Advertising: None.
Data Collection: Data collection is minimal and primarily for site analytics, not for commercial purposes.
Unique Features: The primary source for authoritative information on infectious diseases, vaccines, public health guidelines, and disease outbreaks. It is the go-to site for reliable data and recommendations on topics ranging from travel health to immunization schedules.
Target Audience: Both laypeople and medical professionals.
Cost: Free
Account Required: No, but a free account is an option for saving lists and setting up alerts.
Advertising: Yes
Data Collection: User data is collected for site functionality and analytics, as well as for advertising purposes. It's important to review their privacy policy.
Unique Features: An extensive and highly-used drug information resource. It offers a pill identifier tool, a drug interaction checker, and detailed information on prescription and over-the-counter medications, including side effects, dosage, and warnings.