How to Search Health and Medical Databases (Start Here)
Federal health and medical databases cover drug safety reports, clinical trial registries, hospital comparison tools, disease statistics, provider sanctions, and facility inspection results. Maintained by FDA, CDC, CMS, NIH, and HRSA.
What this page covers: FDA MedWatch, CDC WONDER, CMS Hospital Compare, ClinicalTrials.gov, and HRSA provider data. What it does not cover: State medical board license lookups or individual patient records.
Where to start: For drug safety, start with FDA MedWatch. For public health statistics, start with CDC WONDER. For hospital quality, start with CMS Hospital Compare. For clinical trials, start with ClinicalTrials.gov.
Common mistake: These databases do not contain individual patient records. If you need a doctor's license status, go to the state medical board.
Allergists
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American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology for allergists in the United States.
Audiologists
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American Academy of Audiology database of audiologists in the United States.
Aviation Medical Examiners
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Federal Aviation Administration Office database of Aviation Medical Examiners.
Behavioral Health Treatment Centers
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration search for substance abuse, mental health, veterans affairs, and health care centers.
Cancer Centers
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National Cancer Institute search for Comprehensive and Clinical Cancer Centers Supported by the NCI.
CDC WONDER Databases
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Center for Disease Control WONDER databases of mortality, environment, and population statistics.
Clinical Queries
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National Center for Biotechnology Information PubMed database of clinical queries.
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Dietitians, Dietetic Technicians, Specialists
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Commission on Dietetic Registration online credential verification for registered dietitians, dietitian nutritionists, dietetics technicians, board.
Drug, Herbs, Supplements
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U.S. National Library of Medicine drug, herb, and supplement databases.
Facial, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons
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American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery search for facial, plastic and reconstructive surgeons.
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Healthcare | National Provider Identifier Registry
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National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) database of healthcare providers.
Herbs, Botanicals & Vitamins
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Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center database of Herbs and Botanical information.
Hospital Accreditation
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Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations hospital accreditation reports.
HRSA Health Centers
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HRSA Health Centers provide health services to anyone - even if you don't have insurance.
Massage Therapists
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American Massage Therapy Association "Find a Massage Therapist" service.
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Medical Encyclopedia
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U.S. National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus medical encyclopedia.
Medical Journals
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National Center for Biotechnology Information database of medical journals and articles.
Medical Library
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Provides access to National Library of Medicine databases and services.
Medicare Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs
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Medicare Pharmaceutical Assistance programs by drug name.
Medicare Supplier Directory
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Medicare approved providers of Medicare program services or products.
Mental Health Treatment Centers
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U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) database of mental health services.
Nursing Homes | Complaints & Violations
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Nursing Home Compare. The primary purpose of this tool is to provide detailed information about the performance of every Medicare and Medicaid.
Oncology | New Drugs & Products
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Provides a listing of new oncology drugs and products, product approvals, and safety notifications.
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Physicians - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
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Search the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation database by name, city, state/province, zip/postal code, area code, and county.
Physicians | Actions Against
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DEA Office of Diversion Control lists of criminal cases and administrative actions against physicians.
Physicians | American Medical Association Directory
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American Medical Association directory of member physicians.
Physicians | Disciplinary History
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Pay site - search for physician discipline information nationwide.
Physicians | Medical Specialties
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American Board of Medical Specialties index of Board Certified Physicians and certifications.
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Physicians | Naturopathic
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Search the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians member directory.
Prescription Drugs
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Prescription drug information and drug interaction databases from the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Psychiatrists | Child & Adolescent
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American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatrists psychiatrist finder.
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Quality Care Practices
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National Committee for Quality Assurance database of physicians are committed to providing quality care.
Radiologic Technologists | American Registry
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American Registry of Radiologic Technologists member directory.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I look up a doctor's disciplinary record here? ▼
Not directly. The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) tracks malpractice payments and adverse actions, but public access is restricted. For public disciplinary records, check the state medical board where the doctor is licensed.
What is the difference between FDA MedWatch and CDC WONDER? ▼
FDA MedWatch collects reports of adverse events related to drugs, devices, and other FDA-regulated products. CDC WONDER provides public health statistics — mortality data, disease surveillance, vaccination data. They are completely separate systems run by different agencies.
Can I search for clinical trials I can participate in? ▼
Yes. ClinicalTrials.gov lets you search by condition, location, and eligibility criteria. It covers both government-funded and privately funded trials across the United States and internationally.
Where do I check hospital quality or safety ratings? ▼
CMS Hospital Compare (now part of Medicare.gov) lets you compare hospitals by quality measures, patient experience, and outcomes. The Leapfrog Group and U.S. News also publish ratings, but those are not government databases.
Other Federal Databases
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