Many of us commit to new goals, big and small, with the opportunity of the new year. Whether you have new health goals or would like to have quality information about a new condition or health issue, MedlinePlus.gov is the place to go. The health information provided on this site is more accurate and more reliable than places like Wikipedia, WebMD, or generative AI like ChatGPT because MedlinePlus is free of advertising and has verified resources.  

It is “a service of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the world's largest medical library, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).” Anyone can access this great resource at any time – no KUMC login needed!  

Given its status as a provider of gold-standard (or evidence-based), reliable health information, you can use MedlinePlus for your personal use, to share information with friends and family, or even to share it with your patients. MedlinePlus has handouts for patients and is written in language that is easy to understand. Students may use it when brainstorming ideas for a project or paper. You can search by health topics, which include information “about symptoms, causes, treatment and prevention for over 1000 diseases, illnesses, health conditions and wellness issues. MedlinePlus health topics are regularly reviewed, and links are updated daily.” You can also find healthy recipes and information on genetics.

You can learn about prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines. This feature includes:

  • side effects
  • dosage
  • special precautions

Or about dietary supplements and herbal remedies. Learn about their:

  • effectiveness
  • usual dosage
  • drug interactions

If you have questions about medical tests, you can find more about them, including:

  • what the tests are used for
  • why a provider may order a test
  • how a test will feel
  • what the results may mean

MedlinePlus even has a medical encyclopedia, which includes, “over 4,000 articles about diseases, tests, symptoms, injuries, and surgeries. It also contains an extensive library of medical photographs and illustrations.” The medical encyclopedia breaks down the complicated terminology from clinicians into language that those outside of healthcare can understand.

Lastly, the health information on MedlinePlus is available in multiple languages. At the top of each screen, there is an option to change the entire site to Spanish by clicking Espanol in red. Many handouts are available in multiple languages.

You may not have any new health goals; however, you can use MedlinePlus for health questions and answers throughout the year.  Best wishes for a happy, healthy 2025!