Resources

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Assistance and Information
View a list of HHS resources arranged by topic, operating division and program office publications contacts, and frequently asked questions, and learn how to request information

Regulations
Many laws affect the work of HHS.  The Department issues regulations to implement these laws and develops policies and guidance for industry, state and local governments, and other organizations.

Health Information Privacy (HIPAA)
The Privacy Rule provides federal protections for personal health information held by covered entities and gives patients an array of rights with respect to that information. The Privacy Rule is balanced so that it permits the disclosure of personal health information needed for patient care and other important purposes.

Human Research Protections
If your institution is engaged in human subjects research (not otherwise exempt, and is supported by HHS), your institution must have an Office for Human Research Protections-approved assurance of compliance with the HHS regulations for the protection of human subjects.

  • Protection of Human Subjects (Office for Human Research Protections, HHS)
    45 CFR 46 – text of the federal regulation
  • Policy Guidance (Office for Human Research Protections, HHS)
    Arranged by topic
  • Office for Human Research Protections (HHS)
    Home page provides links to all aspects of the human research protections topic, including registration of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Independent Ethics Committee (IEC).

Health Information Technology Standards
How often have you sat in a doctor's office, writing your health information on yet another set of paper forms? Waited for lab results to be sent to your doctor? Hand-carried X-rays from one office to another?  Electronic health records (EHRs) save everyone time and money. They reduce the chance of medical error. And when information can be securely shared, electronically, it impacts every step in the health care process.

Additional Laws & Regulations
Find laws and regulations on civil and privacy rights, food and drugs, medical and health care, Medicaid and Medicare, research, fraud prevention and detection, tribal matters, and HHS employment.

Policies & Guidelines
Read about civil rights, financial, food and drug, human services, medical and health care, poverty, research, evaluation, information technology, Web, and administrative policies and guidance.

Significant Guidance Documents
Agency Sites Listing Significant Guidance Documents
Browse HHS significant guidance documents issued to the public, regulated entities, and to its staffs.

Civil and Privacy Rights

  • Limited English Proficiency (Office for Civil Rights)
    Find guidance, tools, and resources to better assist persons whose primary language is not English.
  • National Origin Discrimination (Office for Civil Rights)
    Read laws, rulings, and guidance documents regarding discrimination based on national origin.

Food & Drug
Compliance Policy Guides Manual (Food and Drug Administration)
Browse the CPG Manual, which advises the FDA field inspection and compliance staffs on the standards and procedures to apply when determining industry compliance.

Human Services Policy
Office of Human Services Policy (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation)
View information on welfare, poverty, service delivery issues, data for research, policies affecting children, youth, and families, and economic matters affecting the Department.

Medical & Health Care

  • Clinical Practice Guidelines (Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality)
    Find evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and related documents, with syntheses and comparisons.
  • Infection Control Guidelines  (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
    Read the primary CDC-published guidelines and recommendations for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections.
  • Medicare Coverage Policy (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
    Research local and national policies on Medicare coverage.

Poverty Guidelines
Poverty Guidelines, Research and Management (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation)
Read guidelines, statistics, and research findings on people living in poverty in the United States.

Research/Evaluation

HHS Information & Technology Management

HHS Administration
HHS Administrative Manuals
Browse manuals used to manage various HHS functions and services.

DISEASES
MedlinePlus®
Visit MedlinePlus® (en español) for authoritative information from government agencies and health-related organizations on over 750 diseases and conditions.

MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You

Healthfinder.gov
Use Healthfinder.gov (en español) to access easy-to-understand information and tools to help you and those you care about stay healthy.  The site provides reliable information on diseases and conditions from over 1,600 government and non-profit organizations.