Research Guides: Health Law: Websites

About

Websites can provide a good source of current information on a large variety of topics.

Tips for Locating Websites

Before relying on the content of a website, make sure that the website is a reliable source by evaluating the site's:

Author
Objective
Purpose
Accuracy
Intended Audience
Comprehensiveness
Design
Currency

The type of domain used by a website may also help you determine the site's reliability. Common domain types include:

.com or .net (often indicates a commercial site)
.org (often indicate a non-profit site)
.gov (only governmental sites have this domain)
.edu (only educational institutions have this domain)

Websites of Interest

ABA Health Law Section
Publishes a bi-monthly newsletter called "Health Lawyer"; website includes ABA submissions to the government on various health law and policy issues.
American Health Lawyers Association
The website provides information about the Association and its publications.
American Hospital Association
Represents and serves all types of hospitals, healthcare networks, and their patients and communities. Through its representation and advocacy activities, AHA ensures that members' perspectives and needs are heard and addressed in national health policy development, legislative and regulatory debate, and judicial matters.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
IHI is an independent non-profit organization working "to accelerate improvement by building the will for change, cultivating promising concepts for improving patient care, and helping health care systems put those ideas into action." The site provides information about IHI's upcoming programs as well as access to its publications.
Institute of Medicine
IOM "provides unbiased, evidence-based, and authoritative information and advice concerning health and science policy to policy-makers, professionals, leaders in every sector of society, and the public at large." The website provides access to its reports.
The Joint Commission
The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization that "accredits and certifies more than 17,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States." The site provides access to its newsletter and its other publications.
The Leapfrog Group
The Leapfrog Group is "an initiative driven by organizations that buy health care who are working to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality and affordability of healthcare for Americans." The website provides access to the Leapfrog Hospital Quality and Safety Survey Results, which is one of its most well-known initiatives.
National Association of State Medicaid Directors
NASMD is "a bipartisan, professional, nonprofit organization of representatives of state Medicaid agencies (including the District of Columbia and the territories)" and its primary purposes are "to serve as a focal point of communication between the states and the federal government, and to provide an information network among the states on issues pertinent to the Medicaid program." Provides access to some publications by the Association.
National Conference of State Legislatures: Health
NCSL " is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staff of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories." The NCSL section on health provides information on state and federal health issues and initiatives.