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You may think that most Americans are receiving
the best health care possible. However, a major 2004 study
reported in New England Journal of Medicine found that
nearly half of the people in 12 large U.S. communities were
not getting the recommended care for their conditions. How
can you be sure you are getting the care you need? It starts
with you — knowing what quality care is and
how to find it.
What is quality care?
When you get "good quality" health care, it
means that your care is:
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Based on evidence from medical
research showing what kinds of care work best. |
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Provided by healthcare professionals
with skill and knowledge who give you personalized attention. |
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Safe and free of medical
errors. |
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Timely — it's the care you
need when you need it. |
How do you find high quality
care?
There are many public and private organizations
working to find ways to measure and report on quality care,
including the Partnership for Peak Healthcare Performance
(click here to learn more).
The Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) offers these
tips for making good choices about your health care:
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Quality matters. It can
be measured, and it can be improved. Take part in every
decision about your health. |
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See yourself and your doctor
as a team. You need to work together to get the best care.
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Ask questions, and make
sure you understand the answers. The only "bad" question
is the one you wish you had asked. |
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Remember that "more" is
not always "better." It is always a good idea to find
out why a test or treatment is needed and how it can help
you. |
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Find and use reliable health
care information. Ask your doctor or nurse, use your library,
or explore the Internet. |
View AHRQ's complete online booklet, "Guide
to health care quality: How to know it when you see it "
for resources you can use to find high quality care and to
make good health care decisions.
This and other resources are listed below.
Resources
| About
the qualifications of doctors and other health professionals |
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For information about licensed
doctors in the United States, visit the website of the
American
Medical Association. Click on "DoctorFinder" under
"Featured Resources." |
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For information from state
government licensing boards on the licensing background
and disciplinary information of doctors and other health
care providers, click on "DocFinder" at www.docboard.org. |
| About
hospital quality ratings |
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The DFW Business Group on
Health provides a list of resources to help you compare
quality and price for hospitals in North Texas. Go to
DFWBGH's
Hospital Comparison page and click to the "Hospital
Compare" link for hospital ratings prepared by the US
Department of Health & Human Services. |
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