Online Resources

The following links lead to online resources that might be helpful in learning more about heart diseases and treatment options.

Please note that Medtronic does not review, monitor or promote the content on these linked web sites and cannot be responsible for any business dealings or transactions you may have with them.

American Heart Association — provides information on heart failure prevention and treatment for both patients and caregivers.

American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) — an organization of over 10,000 professionals worldwide committed to excellence in cardiovascular ultrasound and its application to patient care. ASE supports this mission through education, advocacy, research, innovation and service to our members and the public. The Society serves its members in numerous ways, including education, information dissemination, representation, practice guidelines, and research.

CHFPatients.com — information from the point of view of a heart failure patient. Includes –The Beat Goes On– message boards where heart failure patients and caregivers can share their experiences

Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) — a forum for heart failure experts. Contains information on heart failure research such as clinical trials.

Mended Hearts — affiliated with American Heart Association. Partners with hospitals and rehabilitation clinics offer services to heart failure patients through visiting programs, support group meetings and educational forums.

The Heart Rhythm Foundation — an organization dedicated to reducing death and disability due to heart rhythm disorders. The goal of the Foundation is to improve the quality of life for many heart disease patients by developing and delivering innovative programs that promote public awareness, professional education, patient advocacy and foster research for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

The Heart Rhythm Society — the international leader in science, education and advocacy for cardiac arrhythmia professionals and patients, the primary information resource on heart rhythm disorders. Its mission is to improve the care of patients by promoting research, education and optimal health care policies and standards. Founded in 1979 to address the scarcity of information about the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, the Heart Rhythm Society is the preeminent professional group representing more than 3,700 specialists in cardiac pacing and electrophysiology in 64 countries.

See My Heart — a site devoted to patient information. Includes information on the process of getting an echocardiogram.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA) — is an organization singularly focused on sudden cardiac arrest. Membership is free. Visit www.suddencardiacarrest.org.

For Caregivers

Caregiver.com — web site for Today’s Caregiver Magazine. Includes online discussion lists.

Family Care America — directs caregivers to a variety of resources in their own localities.

Heartmates — resources for the spouse, family and loved ones of a heart failure patient. National Family

National Family Caregivers Association — an organization that supports caregivers and speaks out publicly for their needs.

National Quality Care Network — provides information about organizations and events for caregivers.

The Well Spouse Foundation — national not-for-profit membership organization that gives support to wives, husbands and partners of the chronically ill.

In addition, local hospitals, health care maintenance organizations, community centers and newspapers may provide information about support groups for heart failure patients and their caregivers.

Health Organizations

American Cancer Society — offers help to quit smoking.

American Lung Association — offers help to quit smoking.

Cleveland Clinic Heart Center — offers option of creating folder to store information. Contains clinical trial info.

Mayo Clinic — contains information on heart failure, from symptoms and diagnosis through treatment options and lifestyle changes.

Online Health Information Sites

Health On the Net — Sponsored by Health On the Net Foundation. Recommendations for patients and doctors on judging Internet information, facts about specific illnesses, and links to patient associations.

HealthAtoZ — Sponsored by Medical Network Inc. A medical search engine that catalogs healthcare sites reviewed by medical professionals; also has electronic bulletin boards on various topics.

Healthfinder — Developed by the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services. General information for patients, free MEDLINE journal search, access to six other databases (some services are not free).

HealthGate — Sponsored by HealthGate Data Corp. General information for patients, free MEDLINE journal, access to six other databases (some services are not free).

HealthWorld Online — Sponsored by HealthWorld Online. Helps patients design a wellness-based lifestyle; information is focused on "integrated health" which combines traditional "western" medicine with "eastern" or alternative medicine.

InteliHealth — Sponsored by Harvard Medical School and Aetna U.S. Healthcare. Free daily e-mail for patients and doctors on the latest health news, direct links to medical association sites, medical dictionary, help finding a doctor or hospital, journal article summaries.

Mayo Clinical Health Oasis — Sponsored by Mayo Clinic. Access to Mayo Clinic's doctors and specialists, consumer health education, and links to patient associations.

Med Help — Sponsored by Med Help International. Helps patients find medical web sites and make good treatment decisions; has a patient health library, information about doctors and specialists, a patient network, doctor directory, and medical/health news.

New England Journal of Medicine — Published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. Search for scientific studies published by this journal, with free summaries dating back to 1990.

NOAH — Sponsored by grants from NY State Library, Queens Borough Public Library, March of Dimes, Aetna US Healthcare and NYU Medical Center. General information on thirty health topics in both Spanish and English, alternative medicine, answers to frequently asked questions, support group links.

PubMed — Sponsored by the National Library of Medicine. Access nine million journal citations through MEDLINE, Pre-MEDLINE, and other related databases.

RxList — Developed by Neil Sandow, PharmD. Information about prescription drugs.

Webcats/Libdex — Hosted by Northern Lights Internet Solutions; content developed by Peter Scott, University of Saskatchewan Library. A more advanced site that provides access to information and resources at different libraries throughout the world.

WebMD — Sponsored by WebMD Corporation. Interactive, multi-specialty site that specializes in information exchange, communication and transactions between the consumer, physician and health institutions.