Database Digest
HerbMed
http://herbmed.org
"This free database provides hyperlinked access to the
scientific data underlying the use of herbs for health. It
is an evidence-based information resource for professionals,
researchers, and the general public." 1 HerbMed
is a project of the Alternative Medicine Foundation, Inc.
in Bethesda, MD.
Users can search the HerbMed database or browse and click
through the alphabetical listing of herbs found on the home
page. There are six categories of information provided for
each herb: Evidence for Activity, Warnings, Preparations,
Mixtures, Mechanisms of Action, and Other. The "Other"
category includes links to pictures, related keyword search
strategies that are automatically updated from the PubMed
database, and related web sites.
National Guideline Clearinghouse
http://www.guideline.gov/
"The National Guideline Clearinghouse (NCG) is a comprehensive
database of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and
related documents produced by the Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ) (formerly the Agency for Health Care Policy
and Research [AHCPR]), in partnership with the American Medical
Association (AMA) and the American Association of Health Plans
(AAHP)." 2
Users can search this great resource by typing keywords into
the search box on the main page or choose the “Detail
Search” option – for the more involved query. Another
option is the “Browse NGC” feature on the home page
which provides three paths for browsing: Disease/Condition,
Treatment/Intervention, or Organization. The NGC site also
contains syntheses of selected guidelines that cover similar
topic areas.
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1 Alternative Medicine Foundation. (2001) HerbMed.
Retrieved February 25, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://herbmed.org
2 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
(Januray 2000) About the National Guideline Clearinghouse.
Retrieved February 25, 2002 from the World Wide Web:
http://www.guideline.gov/about/about.aspx
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