Lawyers working on personal injury or medical malpractice cases need information about medical matters. This ranges from standard medical reference works on anatomy, pharmacology, diagnosis, techniques and technology, to specialized texts on forensic medicine and standards of care and treatment. It is also necessary to be able to locate expert witnesses and evaluate their qualifications.

The need for medical research may also arise in other types of cases. In the employment law context, medical research may be necessary to support a plaintiff's disability-related claims or an employer's anti-smoking rule. In the environmental context, a lawyer might need to know the health effects of toxic wastes. Product liability cases such as tobacco litigation often require extensive medical research. In a criminal case, the defense may need psychiatric research to explain a client's actions and the prosecution may need medical research to show that the defendant inflicted injuries that caused the victim's death.

Medical data can be found in handbooks and dictionaries that offer definitions, diagnostic criteria, recommended drug dosages, indications and contraindications, possible side effects and problems, and other quick-reference information. Medical databases can also provide convenient access to information such as clinical trial results, research reports, news articles, and other medical-related literature.

Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR, 4th ed. text revision) (RC455.2 .C4 D54 - Reference Desk)

Produced by the American Psychiatric Association, the DSM-IV provides diagnostic criteria for the most common mental disorders including description, diagnosis, treatment, and research findings.

EMBASE

EMBASE is a bibliographic database that provides access to the world's biomedical and pharmacological literature and offers comprehensive international coverage of topics such as drug research; human medicine (clinical and experimental); basic biomedical sciences; biotechnology, biomedical engineering, and instrumentation; health policy and management; etc. EMBASE requires a subscription for database access.

MEDLINE

MEDLINE is the primary database for U.S. healthcare professionals. Produced by the National Library of Medicine at the National Institute of Health, MEDLINE provides indexed journal citations and abstracts from nearly 4,500 biomedical journals published in the U.S. and more than 70 other countries. MEDLINE requires a subscription for database access.

LEXIS - Legal > Reference > Medical > Medline

Merck Manual

The Merck Manual provides useful clinical information to practicing physicians, medical students, interns, residents, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care professionals. It covers internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics, gynecology, dermatology, pharmacology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and a number of special subjects.

Also available in print (RC55 .M4 - Most recent volume at Reference Desk, older volumes on 6th Floor)

On-Line Medical Dictionary

OMD is a searchable dictionary that contains terms relating to biochemistry, cell biology, chemistry, medicine, molecular biology, physics, plant biology, radiobiology, science and technology. It includes acronyms, jargon, theory, conventions, standards, institutions, projects, eponyms, history, and anything relating to medicine or science.

Physician's Desk Reference (PDR)

PDR, considered the standard prescription drug reference source, has complete data on over 4,000 drugs by brand and generic name, manufacturer, and product categories and provides usage information and warnings, and drug interactions. A subscription is required for access to the online version of the PDR.

Also available in print (RS 75 .P5 - current edition at Reference Desk), and in WESTLAW - PDR

Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary (R121 .T18 2005 - Reference Desk)

Taber's provides full-text search of over 56,000 definitions, information about complementary and alternative medicine, and the nutritional value of any food item.

WebMD

WebMD is perhaps the largest and most well-known online medical reference resource.

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