Aging: Web Sites

Selected Evidence-Based Web Sites, Listed in Alphabetical Order

AgeLine
http://www.aarp.org/research/ageline/
AARP provides detailed summaries of more than 90,000 publications
about aging and the 50+ population

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
http://www.ahrq.gov/

This government organization's mission is "to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans," all of which are important components of evidence-based mental health.  The site offers links to evidence-based practice reports and reviews as well as clinical practice guidelines. 

Bandolier: Evidence Based Thinking about Health Care
http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/

Bandolier is a UK (United Kingdom)-based website with links to a monthly evidence-based journal, a glossary of EBM (evidence-based medicine) terms, and a knowledge library of varied topics excerpted from systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized trials, and high quality observational studies.

Caring.com
http://www.caring.com/
Consumer web site aims to help caretakers of aging parents on Topics A-Z.
The site's advisory board includes Dr. Peter Pompei, director of geriatrics at the Stanford School of Medicine, Andy Scharlach, Kleiner Professor of Aging at the University of California at Berkeley and David Solie, author of "How to Say It to Seniors."

Caring from a Distance
http://www.cfad.org

An organization for long-distance caregivers.

Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (University Health Network):
http://www.cebm.utoronto.ca/

A companion site to the well-known David Sackett book, Evidence-based Medicine: How to practice and teach EBM.  The website features EBM resources for undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as continuing education materials for health care professionals.

The Centre for Evidence Based Social Services
http://www.ripfa.org.uk/aboutus/archive/

The Centre for Evidence-Based Social Services was established in 1997 and was a partnership between The Department of Health, a consortium of Social Services
Departments in the South West of England and the University of Exeter (Peninsula Medical School). The Centre's main aim was to ensure that decisions taken at all levels
in Social Services are informed by trends from good-quality research. CEBSS produced a wide range of training materials, publications and other resources that were made available through their website. As this site is now closed, Research in Practice for Adults
is pleased to continue making this material available. In this section of our website, you can view CEBSS reports, newsletters and research skills training modules.

Centre for Reviews and Dissemination
http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/CRDWeb/Home.aspx
CRD was established in January 1994, and produces and promotes the use of research based knowledge in health and social care with databases:

DARE – (Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects) contains over 4000 abstracts of quality assessed and critically appraised systematic reviews. The database focuses on the effects of interventions used in health and social care.

• Complements the Cochrane Reviews by offering a selection of quality assessed reviews in those subjects where there is currently no Cochrane review.
• Brief critical appraisals of previously published reviews of the effects of health care.
• Structured abstracts, not full-text
• DARE not indexed in PubMed, but original research articles may be
• Also available at no charge on the web from University of York www.crd.york.ac.uk/crdweb/

NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED) contains over 6000 abstracts of quality
assessed economic evaluations. The database aims to assist decision-makers by systematically identifying and describing economic evaluations, appraising their quality and highlighting their relative strengths and weaknesses.

Both DARE and NHS EED include details of abstracts in the process of being written and these can be 'fast-tracked' on request.

CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health)
http://searchtools.lib.umich.edu/V?func=native-link&resource=UMI04838

NOTE: subscription is required for database access.

From CINAHL Information Systems, this database features over 1200 nursing, allied health, consumer health, biomedicine, and health sciences librarianship journals from 1982 to present. Additional citations for selected books, dissertations, and conference proceedings are included.

Cochrane Library
http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/clibintro.htm

NOTE: subscription is required for full-text access.

From the Cochrane Collaboration, this online library is a collection of evidence-based medicine databases including Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews and Effectiveness (DARE), Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (CCTR), NHS (National Health Service-UK) Economic Evaluation Database, Health Technology Assessment Database, and Cochrane Database of Methodology Reviews (CDMR). While the review abstracts are searchable free of charge, full-text is only available by subscription.

Community Toolbox: Bringing Solutions to Light
http://ctb.ku.edu/

One of the fundamental elements of evidence-based public health is identifying scientific evidence for policy and decision-making.  This site is a treasure trove of information for understanding health policy development at the community level.

Consumer Health Information in Many Languages Resources
http://nnlm.gov/outreach/consumer/multi.html

A collaboration of the NN/LM Consumer Outreach Librarians

Core Curriculum and Ethnic Specific Modules (Stanford University)
http://www.stanford.edu/group/ethnoger/index.html
Stanford University Curriculum in Ethnogeriatrics provides histories of twelve immigrant populations to the U.S. and the cultural influences that may impact health care delivery to elders.

Other selected Cultural Competence Websites:

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Achieving Cultural Competence: A Guidebook for Providers of Services to Older Americans and Their Families

This guidebook by the Administration on Aging (AoA) is designed for providers of services to racially and ethnically diverse older adults. The AoA website is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of a wide variety of topics, programs and services related to aging.

http://www.aoa.gov/prof/adddiv/cultural/addiv_cult.aspx

The National Institute on Aging (NIA)

One of the 25 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health, the NIA leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to prolong the healthy and active years of life. The NIA disseminates information and communicate with the public and interested groups on health and research advances and on new directions for research. Particularly relevant to providers of mental health services for racially and ethnically diverse older adults is the NIA Minority Research and Training Newsletter:

http://www.nia.nih.gov/NewsAndEvents/WorkGroupOnMinorityAging.htm

NIMH: Older Adults: Depression and Suicide Facts

Offers a comprehensive account of the prevalence of depression and suicide in older adults, as well as a discussion on the contributing bio-psycho-social risk factors that effect older adults.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/elderlydepsuicide.cfm

Depression, Mental Health, and Psychosocial Well-being Among Older African Americans

This publication by Mills, T.L. recognizes the need for increased awareness of mental health issues in older African Americans in the context of the expanding elderly population in the United States. Differences in the social construction of depression among African Americans as compared to majority groups are portrayed.

http://www.rcgd.isr.umich.edu/prba/perspectives/springsummer2000/tmills.pdf

Eldercare Locator Assessment Tools (Administration on Aging (AoA)
http://www.eldercare.gov/eldercare/Public/resources/assessment.asp

There are a variety of tools available on the Internet designed to help older people and
family caregivers assess their needs and determine the best strategies for care.

The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
http://www.euro.who.int/observatory

The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies supports and promotes evidence-
based health policy-making for health care systems in Europe. The Observatory is a partnership between the WHO Regional Office for Europe; the Governments of Finland, Greece, Norway, Spain and Sweden; the European Investment Bank; Open Society Institute; World Bank; London School of Economics and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.  Research topics include health care reform, policy and performance, health insurance, hospitals, mental health policy,
pharmaceuticals, and primary health care.

Evaluation Center@HSRI
http://tecathsri.org/

A federally funded technical assistance center for mental health system stakeholders including, but not
limited to states, providers, consumers, and evaluators for improving the planning, implementation, and
operation of adult mental health services.

Evidence Based Mental Health Online
http://ebmh.bmjjournals.com/

Persons using EBMH Online may view, reproduce or store copies of articles comprising the journal provided that the articles are used only for their personal, non-commercial use.

Evidence Network: The Focus Point for Evidence Based Policy and Practice Research in the UK (United Kingdom)
http://www.evidencenetwork.org

Focusing on evidence-based, social science research in support of policy and practice, the site features a searchable database of over 1400 systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and research syntheses in social policy in addition to over 170 links to a variety of evidence-based web resources.

Free Resources for Social Work Professionals (Advocacy Organizations on Aging)

Geriatrics at Your Fingertips http://www.geriatricsatyourfingertips.org/default.asp

A pocket guide that provides immediate access to specific information needed to care for older adults in various health care settings.

Go Local
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/golocal/

A service of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health:
Find local resources for health-related issues.

Grey Literature Producing Organizations
http://www.nyam.org/library/pages/grey_literature_producing_organizations

This website features the New York Academy of Medicine's list of links to agencies and organizations publishing grey literature resources, including non-profit organizations and government agencies and clearinghouses.

Grey Literature Report
http://www.nyam.org/library/pages/grey_literature_report

This report is published quarterly by The New York Academy of Medicine to identify new grey literature resources as they are added to the academy's collection.

Guide to Community Preventive Services: Systematic Reviews and Evidence Based Recommendations
http://www.thecommunityguide.org/

The Guide to Community Preventive Services is being developed by an independent, non-federal task force appointed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The task force reviews and evaluates evidence-based materials on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of community preventive health services.  Topics covered include cancer, diabetes, substance abuse, nutrition, pregnancy, tobacco, and vaccines. 

HealthLinks (University of Washington) Evidence-Based Practice:
http://healthlinks.washington.edu/ebp

A useful list of web resources, organized by category: meta-search engines, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, evidence guidelines, clinical research critiques, case reports and practice guidelines, evidence calculators, evidence-based practice statistics, and evidence-based research centers.

HealthWeb: Evidence Based Health Care
http://www.healthweb.org/browse.cfm?subjectid=39

A collaborative project comprised of health sciences libraries in the Greater Midwest Region of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine and of libraries in the Committee for Institutional Cooperation. Evidence based health care resources are chosen selectively by librarians, and links include a variety of websites categorized by associations, databases, electronic journals, practice guidelines, guides to Internet resources, guides to searching the literature, and tutorials.

International Institute for Reminiscence and Life Review
http://www2.uwsuper.edu/cee/lll/IIRLR/

• Promotes increased awareness, knowledge, and skill development in direct practice of reminiscence and life review.
• Furthers reminiscence and life review research activity, providing a venue for discussion of results as well as guidance for future research.
• Establishes a working definition of reminiscence and life review.
• Furthers to integrate research and practice.
• Educates others about reminiscence and life review practice, research, and ways to integrate the material in formal education, staff training, and volunteer organization

Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999) |http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/home.html

Mental Health: Culture, Race, Ethnicity - Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon
General - Executive Summary (SG-CRE-EXEC)
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cre/default.asp

This report is a supplement to the first ever Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, Mental Health: A
Report of the Surgeon General. This supplement covers the four most recognized racial and ethnic minority
groups in the United States.

Mental Health: Culture, Race, Ethnicity - Supplement to Mental Health: Report of the
Surgeon General - (with Executive Summary) (SMA01-3613)
http://download.ncadi.samhsa.gov/ken/pdf/SMA-01-3613/sma-01-3613.pdf

This supplement to "Mental Health: Report of the Surgeon General" discusses the barriers to
services that are encountered by persons of certain social and cultural groups.

National Center for Cultural Competence (Georgetown University)
http://gucchd.georgetown.edu//nccc

The NCCC provides national leadership and contributes to the body of knowledge on cultural and
linguistic competency within systems and organizations.  Major emphasis is placed on translating evidence into policy and practice for programs and personnel concerned with health and mental health care delivery, administration, education and advocacy.  

National Guidelines Clearinghouse
http://www.guideline.gov/

Sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), this website provides clinical practice guidelines of systematically developed statements with recommendations, strategies, and other information that assists health care providers in making appropriate health care decisions. The guidelines are produced by a formally recognized society,
organization, or agency and have been developed, reviewed or revised within the last five years.

National Library of Medicine (NLM) Gateway
http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/

From the National Library of Medicine, this site provides multiple database coverage: MEDLINE/
PubMed (journal articles and features for searching the biomedical literature, including search
limits and filters relevant to searching for best evidence resources), LOCATORplus (books,
journals, and audiovisual material), MEDLINEplus (consumer health), ClinicalTrial.gov, DIRLINE
(directories of health organizations), Meeting Abstracts, HSRProj (Health Services Research
Projects in Progress), OMIM (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man), and HSDB (Hazardous
Substances Data Bank). The NLM Gateway facilitates subject searching of multiple NLM
databases at one time.

NIH SeniorHealth.gov
http://nihseniorhealth.gov/

Website for older adults developed by the National Institute on Aging and the National
Library of Medicine.

SAMHSA'S (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration) National Mental Health Information Center:
Center for Mental Health Services: Evidence-Based
Practices: Shaping Mental Health Services Toward Recovery
http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/
communitysupport/toolkits/

This government website offers six resource kits in support of evidence-based practices in mental health.  The topics covered are Illness Management and Recovery, Medication Management Approaches in Psychiatry,
Assertive Community Treatment, Family Psychoeducation, Supported Employment, and Co-occurring Disorders: |
Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment.

Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) http://www.scie-socialcareonline.org.uk/default.asp

Social Care Online provides the UK's most complete range of information and research on all aspects of social care - for free. With new content added daily by SCIE's experienced information professionals, you can find information about all aspects of social care, from fostering, to mental health, to human resources and much, much more. You can also have information delivered to your desktop - find out more about email alerts and RSS feeds.

Tool: Including Diverse Participants (Inclusivity Checklist)
http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/coalitions/create/includingparticipants.jsp

TRIP Database
http://www.tripdatabase.com/

NOTE: subscription is required for full-text access.

Developed by Jon Brassey in 1997, this database assembles a variety of Internet evidence-based health care resources. A basic version can be searched free of charge. The enhanced database, TRIP Plus, includes peer-reviewed journals, e-textbooks, medical images, and patient information leaflets, and it requires a subscription to access. TRIP Plus is updated monthly.

World Health Organization: Regional Office for Europe: Evidence (Access to WHO's Evidence-Based Information and Policy
http://www.euro.who.int/InformationSources/Evidence/20010827_1

The website offers links to Evidence and Information for Policy, identifying cost-effectiveness of health care interventions and to the Health Evidence Network which features a small library of synthesis reports and links to evidence-based web resources.