How to Access the National Library of Medicine Resources

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) website contains resources that will help you with your research project. You can access the literature, data sources, data collection instruments and currently funded research projects through this portal.

1) To access the home page of the NLM type:

2)On the NLM home page, you will notice a series of links in the on the left side of the page under databases.

  1. Click the link to PubMed/MEDLINE. You are now on the page with PubMed Tools in the center of the page. Click on the link to Clinical Queries, which streamlines searches on specific clinical topics and sorts results into clinical studies and systematic reviews.
  2. Click the link to ClinicalTrials.gov to search ongoing clinical trials.

3)Back on the NLM home page, in the center of the page under Research at the NLM, click the link to Health Services Research and Public Health.You are now on the Health Services Research and Public Health Information Programs page. Under the topic of Collaborative Projects click the link to HSR Information Central. This brings you to the National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology (NICHSR)page. There are numerous links on this page.

  1. Under HSR General Resources, there is a link to Data, Tools, and Statistics. When you click on this link, you will be on a webpage that lists many datasets available for research. You can also calculate health statistics, and access survey instruments that have been validated and used in previous research.
  2. One important set of databases accessible through this is HCUP. Under Data Charts/Series, click on the link for the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). HCUP is a set of databases that includes the largest national datasets used to study national, regional and state level issues in access to care, health care utilization, cost, quality of care, and outcomes.
  1. National Inpatient Sample (NIS) – largest all-payer inpatient data resource. Contains between 7 and 8 million hospital stays per year. Patients of all age are included.
  2. Kids’ Inpatient Sample (KID) – national all-payer inpatient dataset for children (ages 20 and younger).
  3. Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) – largest national all-payer data resource on Emergency Department utilization.
  4. State Inpatient Databases (SID) – contains discharge abstract information on all-payer hospitalizations for each participating state. New York is a participating state.
  1. UnderHSR Topics, there are links to resource pages for selected topics. These resource pages contain data, tools, and statistics on the topic. These topics include:
  2. Comparative Effectiveness Research. This type of research compares the risks and benefits of two or more health services or treatments used to treat a specific disease. Under Data, Tools and Statistics, the Health Indicator Warehouse is a single source for national, state, and community health indicators.
  3. Health Disparities. This research focuses on differences in access or availability of services.
  4. Health Literacy and Cultural Competence. This section contains data and tools that can be used to assess linguistic and cultural competence.
  5. Public Health Services and System Research. This research addresses the financing, organization and delivery of public health services.
  1. Under Featured Resources, there is a link to HSRQueries PubMed Health Services Research Queries. When you click on this link, you will be on the page that allows you to conduct PubMed specialized health services research queries on selected topics such as appropriateness of care, outcomes, cost and quality improvement.
  1. Under Featured Resources, there is a link to HSRProj Health Services Research Projects in Progress. When you click on this link, you will be on the page that allows you to query ongoing research projects by topic, investigator, funding agency and by state.
  1. Under Featured Resources, there is a link to HSRR Health Services/Sciences Research Resources. When you click on this link, you will be on the page that allows you to query resources (datasets, survey instruments, and software) by topic.