Government Resources

U.S. Food and Drug Administration
www.fda.gov
Government agency tasked with regulating drugs, medical devices, biologicals and vaccines, as well as cosmetics and foods. Offers extensive information including current prescribing information for many drugs; safety data, including current alerts and warnings; and information for consumers, including recent product approvals and safety reports.

Cancer Risk: Understanding the Puzzle
understandingrisk.cancer.gov
Educational site from the National Cancer Institute, geared toward interested patients. In an interactive format, teaches about types of risk factors and how to interpret media reports. Also has information about risks for certain cancers.

A Primer on Health Risk Communication
www.atsdr.cdc.gov/risk/riskprimer/
Online publication from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Geared toward communication with the public in the event of a health or environmental emergency, but contains principles that are also applicable to one-on-one discussions.

Research Centers

Center for Risk Communication Research
www.comm.riskcenter.umd.edu
Center at the University of Maryland dedicated to exploring perceptions of and reactions to risk, particularly regarding food safety, environmental harm, security, and health.

Health Risk and Communication Center
hrcc.cas.msu.edu
Center at Michigan State University focusing on various forms of communication related to health and risk, and on devising and evaluating health communication materials and campaigns.

Center for Risk Perception and Communication
sds.hss.cmu.edu/risk
Center at Carnegie Mellon University, with a particular interest in the use of risk communication to promote understanding, instead of as a method of persuasion.