Health Policy

Take time at the beginning of your search to browse a wide variety of print, Web, and database sources. Time spent browsing your topic in a wide range of sources, early in the definition process, will result in effective searching in the later steps required to complete the Issue Brief.

Use keyword searching to identify subject headings in each database that provide sources relevant to your topic. Use the subject headings you identify to "explore further" and with greater precision.

Read/skim abstracts, article titles, and full-text sources (when available) to gain a better understanding of the many facets/aspects of your topic.

Begin to compile lists of:

• keywords, keyword combinations, and subject headings that produce good search results

• groups, people, organizations, government agencies for whom this issue is problematic

• major events (legislation, creation of a presidential commission) that have influenced the issue's development

Continue to add to your lists as you complete your definition.

• The CAT
  Use keywords, subject headings, authors, organization names, and names to identify books, government documents, and other materials sources related to your topic
  

• Gale Virtual Reference Library.   Includes the Encyclopedia of Public Health

• CQ Electronic Library -- includes several different databases that are helpful.  Each can be searched separately  using the links below. 

• CQ Researcher
  Weekly "magazine" that explores in-depth a single "hot issue" currently being discussed in the news. Topics include social issues, politics, economics, the environment, education, science, and more. Each issue includes an essay outlining the issue, a pro-con feature, a chronology, and a bibliography. 1923 to the present.

• CQ Weekly Report
  A weekly news magazine reporting on the activities in the Congress including the status of bills, committee and floor activity, debates, roll-call votes, and congressional-executive branch relations. Congress including the status of bills, committee and floor activity, debates, roll-call votes, and congressional-executive branch relations.

• CQ Almanac -- an excellent database to begin tracking legislation as well as getting a broad overview of  government actions on a topic.

• National Journal
  Full text of key magazines, newsletters, books and directories from the National Journal Group. Focused on government, politics, and public policy.

Many policy papers have been written on your topics by government agencies and interest groups. These reports can help you identify the major issues and players engaged in discussing your topic.

• CRS Reports
  The Congressional Research Service, a branch of the Library of Congress, produces excellent reports on a wide of topics including health care policy. The reports are designed for policymakers who are working on legislation or study public policy issues.

• GAO (Government Accountability Office) Reports
  The "audit" arm of Congress, the Government Accountability Office researches the effectiveness of government of programs and government spending.  Excellent for understanding the effectiveness/outcomes of government programs

• PolicyFile
  Reports from public policy think tanks, university research programs, research organizations, and publishers. Many of these organizations are the major "players" in health policy debates.

Use key government resources to locate government policies and services.

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
  The lead federal agency charged with improving the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans.

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  Formerly known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), the Center is responsible for administering the Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments), and several other health-related programs.

• Department of Health and Human Services
  Other agencies within HHS may also be helpful.

  • Health Services Research and Public Information Programs (National Library of Medicine)

  • DHHS Policy Information Center Library

• Pennsylvania Department of Health

  • Healthcare Access Guide

• LexisNexis Congressional
  Track congressional activities and legislation. Find reports from the important committees dealing with health care issues.

• GalleryWatch
  Bill Tracking and Federal Budget Activity. Most detailed federal budget information available.

• Federal Register
  Search and browse the full text of the Federal Register. Daily release of new final and proposed federal regulations.

• Code of Federal Regulations
  Annual cumulation of current (in force) federal regulations. Title 42 (Public Health) covers Health Care Financing Administration Regulations.

• HCFA Regulations and Guidance
  

• LexisNexis State Capital
  Explore activities in the states. Track Legislation and regulations at the state level.

• CapitolWire
  Focuses on developments in Harrisburg

Find out more about the "players"

• DIRLINE -- directory of organizations interested in health care issues, with links to their web sites.

• Associations Unlimited
  Basic information on a wide range of organizations.

• Yearbook of International Organizations

• PolicyFile
  Reports from public policy think tanks, university research programs, research organizations and publishers. Many of these organizations are the major "players" in health policy debates. Links to documents and organizations' Web sites.

• Open Secrets
  Track money from interest groups in the political process.

• Selected Major Interest Groups

• Health Affairs
• Commonwealth Fund   
• Kaiser Family Foundation
• Center for Health System Change        
• Milbank Memorial Fund   
• American Medical Student Association        
• American Nurses Association     
• American Academy of Nurse Practitioners     

Scholarly journal and Newspaper articles can give you a more in-depth view of your issue.

• PubMed
  The National Library of Medicine's (NLM) premier bibliographic database. It includes the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, and the pre-clinical sciences.

  • Health Services Research (HSR) Queries -- a subset of PubMed.  This database focuses specifically on health care quality and costs.

• CINAHL--index to nursing literature

• Sociological Abstracts--looks a broad social problems including such things as lack of access to health care and the underlying causes.

•  

  Social Services Abstracts--includes articles related to the health services.

• Worldwide Political Science Abstracts. -- to find articles on the politics of health policy

• Annual Reviews--includes the Annual Review of Public Health

• ABI/Inform -- A subset of ProQuest, this database focuses on business journals and newspapers, including the business of health care.

• ProQuest
  Indexes 5,000+ magazines, journals, and newspapers. It contains the full text to over 2,000 journals, and full text to 150+ newspapers in text, pdf, and html formats.

Find Statistics to back up your arguments.

• American Factfinder
  Census Department source for population, housing, economic and geographic data.

• National Center for Health Statistics
  The nation's principal health statistics agency, it compiles statistical information to improve health and guide actions and policies.

• LexisNexis Statistical
  Index to statistics and data contained in federal agency, state government, and private organization publications.

• Vital Statistics on American Politics
  More than 200 tables on U.S. elections and political parties, public opinion and voting, the media, the three branches of U.S. government, foreign, military, social and economic policy. Contains some time series data. Data can be exported for use in Excel or other statistical software.