General health information

This page provides links to reliable websites on general health issues and information on accessing health care.

For information on a specific disease or surgery, please see our Health Topics pages.

The information available on the Patient Resource Centre’s website is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace the advice or instruction of a professional healthcare practitioner or to substitute for medical care.

Dictionaries / Encyclopedias

CIHR Jargon Buster | Canadian Institutes of Health Research

GET-IT Glossary: Plain Language Definitions of Health Research Terms | Informed Healthcare Choices

What Did My Doctor Say? | Medical Library Association

Understanding Medical Words: A Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine | Medline Plus

Medical Encyclopedia | Medline Plus

Medical Dictionary | Merriam-Webster

Patient Encyclopaedia | Orphanet

Medical Dictionary | University Health Network

Plain Language Medical Dictionary | University of Michigan

Evaluating Health Information

★ Finding Health Information You Can Trust | McGill University Health Centre ★

Evaluating the Credibility of Health Websites: Can You Trust Dr. Google? | Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health

How Do You Evaluate Health Information You Find on the Web? | Dalhousie University

How to Recognize a Reliable Source of Information on Health | Government of Quebec

How to Understand a Research Study | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Online Health Information Aid: Better Search. Better Use. Better Health. | McGill University

Finding and Verifying Information | MediaSmarts: Canada’s Centre for Media and Digital Literacy

Finding and Evaluating Science and Health Information | MediaSmarts: Canada’s Centre for Media and Digital Literacy

Find Good Health Information | Medical Library Association

Evaluating Health Information | MedlinePlus (See also Medline Plus’s Tutorial and Short Guide on this topic)

Online Health Information Aid | McGill University

Using Trusted Resources | National Cancer Institute

Finding and Evaluating Online Resources | National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

Understanding Research | Quebec Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) Support Unit

Understanding Health Research: A Tool for Making Sense of Health Studies | Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow

Trust It or Trash It: A Tool to Help You Think Critically about the Quality of Health Information | Trust It or Trash It

Evaluating Health Information | University of California San Francisco Medical Center

Testing Treatments: Promoting Critical Thinking About Treatment Claims | WHO Collaborating Centre for Guideline Implementation and Knowledge Translation

Access to Care

Make an Appointment at the MUHC | MUHC

Book an Appointment at the Montreal Children’s Hospital | MUHC

Clic Santé (Make appointments for blood tests, vaccines, and other services) | Government of Québec

Info-Santé 811 Phone Line (Talk to a nurse or psychosocial worker about your condition) | Government of Québec

Primary Care Access Point (Find the health service that matches your needs) | Government of Québec

Québec Family Doctor Finder (Register on the wait list for a primary care doctor) | Government of Québec

Québec Immunization Program | Government of Québec

Québec Medical Appointment Scheduler (Make an appointment for a medical consultation in family medicine) | Government of Québec

Situation in Emergency Rooms in Québec | Government of Québec

When to Go to the Emergency Room | Santé Québec

Real-time ER Wait Times for Canadians (Estimates provided for hospitals that do not report live data) | ERstat

Health Insurance | Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ)

Canadian Dental Health Plan | Government of Canada

My Pharmacist – Easy Access to Healthcare Services (Find out what your local pharmacist can do for you) | Association québécoise des pharmaciens propriétaires

Refugee Care

Resources for Immigrants and Refugees | Montreal Children’s Hospital, MUHC

Interim Federal Health Program (Temporary healthcare coverage) | Government of Canada

PRAIDA (Regional Program for the Settlement and Integration of Asylum Seekers) | CIUSSS West-Central Montreal

Health and Wellness Support (Including workshops on accessing healthcare) | The Refugee Centre, Montreal

The Welcome Guide: Healthcare (Information and resources for refugee claimants in Montreal) | The Welcome Collective

You may also consult our list of resources in French.

Page Last Updated: June 11, 2026

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