Newly Diagnosed? Here are 5 Websites You Need to Know About

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with a confusing disease and need a specialist or you’re playing the role of quarterback to a loved one and want some guidance on doctors and treatment plans — don’t just turn to Google. Here are 5 websites you should know about:

1. National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, nccn.org/patients is the place to go to find treatment guidelines, video libraries, patient advocacy resources, and practical information to supplement the advice you receive from your doctors.

2. PubMed

At pubmed.org, a website from the U.S. National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, you can find abstracts (and sometimes entire articles) of peer-reviewed, published findings on any medical topic. Though the reading can be dense, as you dig deeper and come to understand the language of your condition, you will become infinitely more competent in your dealings with physicians and caregivers.

3. Certification Matters

As part of your search for a specialist, it’s important to check credentials. At certificationmatters.org, a website of the American Board of Medical Specialties, you can type in a physician’s name to find out if he or she is board certified in the specialty and if certification is up to date.

4. Expertscape

Type your disease into expertscape.com, a physician-created search engine, and out comes a list of authors, ranked according to the number of scientific papers they’ve written. You can narrow your search for experts to specific hospitals or geographic areas. Or just read through the latest research findings from the world’s top minds on your problem.

5. DocInfo

A website of the Federation of State Medical Boards, docinfo.org is the place to go to learn more about whether a doctor is actively licensed to practice in your state and if he or she has had any disciplinary actions.