AZHealthInfo: A Database that Complements Arizona's New ‘Go Local’ Directory of Services and Enhances Online Access to Local Health Information

摘要

AZHealthInfo is a Web site created by the Arizona Health Sciences Library at the University of Arizona that serves as a gateway to Arizona-related health information. It has '"Focus Pages" that contain lists of links, organized by health topics. Each focus page contains a narrative description of the condition, pertinent statistics, and an array of links from a wide range of providers featuring Arizona information. There are links to Arizona Go Local, MedlinePlus, and other national sites. The intent is not to recreate what MedlinePlus and others have done, but to facilitate access to Arizona information. This paper describes AZHealthlnfo's inception, funding, development, management, quality control, evolution, and future. It also considers AZHealthInfo's supplemental relationship to the National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus database and the newly released Arizona Go Local directory of health services. AZHealthlnfo increases the ability of both consumersrnand public health professionals to access locally relevant information. It bridges a gap in health information by providing resources found neither in MedlinePlus nor in Arizona Go Local. Access to regionally appropriate information helps citizens to make informed decisions about their health, and thus has the potential to improve health outcomes statewide.