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Finding health information |
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| Adam Health Illustrated Encyclopedia |
| Over 4,000 articles about diseases, tests, symptoms, injuries, and surgeries as well as an extensive library of medical photographs and illustrations. (National Library of Medicine) |
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| Behavioral Health |
| Multi-language brochures addressing a variety of issues related to mental health and substance abuse for persons whose first language is not English. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
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| Deciphering Medspeak |
| Glossary of terms commonly used by health care professionals. Also available in Spanish. (Medical Library Association) |
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| Directory of Mental Health Resources |
| Directory of federal agencies, professional organizations, support organizations, and organizations for specific illnesses related to mental health. (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services) |
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| Drug Information |
| Information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines. (National Library of Medicine) |
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| Frequently Performed Operations |
| Public information brochures on specific procedures. (American College of Surgeons) |
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| Health Information |
| Information on selected consumer health topics. (National Institutes of Health) |
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| Health Information Resource Database |
| This database includes 1,800 organizations and government offices that provide health information upon request. (National Health Information Center) |
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| Health Topics A to Z |
| Information on a variety of health topics. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) |
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| Health on the Net Foundation |
| Search for web sites that adhere to the HON Code of Conduct, ethical guidelines for medical and health web sites. (Health on the Net Foundation) |
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| HealthWeb |
| Tool to facilitate access to health-related resources on the Internet. (Health sciences libraries of the Greater Midwest Region of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) and those of the Committee for Institutional Cooperation) |
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| Healthfinder |
| Comprehensive, selective resource for health information on the Internet. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) |
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| How to Evaluate Health Information on the Internet: Questions and Answers |
| Fact sheet to help you decide whether the health information you find on the Internet or receive via e-mail from a web site is likely to be reliable. (National Cancer Institute) |
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| KidsHealth |
| Health information about children from before birth through adolescence. For children, teen-agers, and parents. (The Nemours Foundation) |
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| MLA User’s Guide to Finding and Evaluating Health Information on the Web |
| Guidelines on finding the highest quality health information on the web as well as examples of the best health web sites. (Medical Library Association) |
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| Medical Dictionary |
| Searchable dictionary of medical terms. (Merriam-Webster and the National Library of Medicine. |
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| MedlinePlus |
| Extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over 600 diseases and conditions. (National Library of Medicine) |
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| Mens Health |
| Information on selected mens health issues. (National Institutes of Health) |
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| NIHSeniorHealth.gov |
| A web site to link people over 60 to the resources on health and aging from the National Institutes of Health. (National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine)
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| National Women’s Health Information Center |
| Health information for women. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) |
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| Oral Health Topics |
| Information and resources about various issues related to you and your family’s oral health care. (American Dental Association) |
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| Patient 101: How to Find Reliable Health Information |
| A guide to help people find reliable, trusted sources of health care information on the Internet (Joint Commission Resources) |
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| PreventInfection.org |
| Resource for infection prevention information for patients and consumers. (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology)
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| PubMed |
| Searchable database of citations to articles in health sciences journals. In some cases, it includes links to sites providing full text. (National Library of Medicine) |
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| Rare Disease Database |
| Abstracts of disease reports and information about patient organizations are available free on this web site. (National Organization for Rare Disorders) |
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| Toll-free Numbers for Health Information |
| Selected toll-free numbers for organizations that provide health-related information, education, and support. (National Health Information Center) |
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| Travelers Health |
| Health information on specific travel destinations. (National Center for Infectious Diseases) |
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| Word! |
| A glossary of medical words for children. (The Nemours Foundation) |
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Understanding the
health care system |
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| A Guide to Long Term Care Insurance |
| Helps you understand what long term care insurance is, what it costs, and how to select a plan. Also available in Spanish. (Health Insurance Association of America) |
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| Guide to Health Insurance |
| Discusses the basic forms of health coverage and includes a checklist to help you compare plans. (Health Insurance Association of America) |
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| Insure U--Get Smart About Insurance |
| Explains the different types of health insurance and gives advice on the types of insurance you are likely to need in different stages of your life (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) |
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| Interpreting Your Explanation of Benefits |
| Helps you understand the explanation of benefits you receive from your insurance administrator. (Patient Advocate Foundation) |
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| Managed Care Answer Guide |
| Guide to assist you in choosing, understanding, and utilizing your health plan. (Patient Advocate Foundation) |
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| Medicaid Basics: A Question and Answer Guide about Eligibility, Coverage, and Benefits |
| Helps you understand and navigate the requirements of the Medicaid program. Additionally, one-page Fact Sheets in English, Spanish, and traditional Chinese supplement the guide by providing phone numbers and websites to each state's Medicaid Program. (American Health Lawyers Association) |
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| Medicare Personal Plan Finder |
| Allows you to identify and compare Medicare health plans that are available in your area. (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) |
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| National Center for Health Statistics |
| Statistical reports on health and health care in the U.S. (National Center for Health Statistics) |
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| Patient Glossary of Billing Terms |
| Guide to commonly used financial terms in the health care field. (Healthcare Financial Management Association/Patient Friendly Billing Project) |
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| Protecting the Privacy of Patients Health Information |
| Fact sheet that explains the privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). How to File a Health Information Privacy Complaint with the Office for Civil Rights. Information on how submit a complaint if you believe that a person, agency or organization covered under the HIPAA Privacy Rule violated your health information privacy rights or committed another violation of the Privacy Rule. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) |
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| Questions and Answers about Health Insurance: a Consumer Guide |
| Describes the different kinds of health insurance plans available today and answers questions you may have about health insurance. Also contains a glossary of health insurance terms. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and America’s Health Insurance Plans) |
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| Top 10 Ways to Make Your Health Benefits Work for You |
| Guidance for finding the health plan that best meets your needs and preferences. (U. S. Department of Labor) |
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| Understand Your Health Insurance and Medicare Options |
| Information to help you understand Medicare, Medicare supplemental insurance (Medigap), managed care, and other health insurance options. (American Association of Retired Persons) |
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| Understanding Complementary and Alternative Medicine |
| Provides information on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including making decisions about using CAM, selecting a CAM provider, and financial issues. Also in Spanish. (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) |
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| Understanding Medical Research |
| Quick overview of medical research, including how to find and understand research results. (National Institutes of Health) |
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| Understanding Your Tests |
| General information on understanding laboratory tests. (American Association for Clinical Chemistry) |
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| Usual, Customary, and Reasonable Charges Defined |
| Explains the use of a predetermined set of fees made by health plans. (Patient Advocate Foundation) |
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| What is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine? |
| Explains the difference between D.O.s and M.D.s and gives a history of osteopathic medicine and physicians. (American Osteopathic Association) |
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| When Health Care Providers May Communicate About You with Your Family, Friends, or Others |
Discusses provisions of the HIPAA Privacy Rule related to when and how health care providers may share your health information with your family members, friends, or others involved in your care or payment for care. (Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights) |
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| Where to Write for Vital Records |
| Information for each state on where to obtain birth, death, marriage, and divorce records. (National Center for Health Statistics) |
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| Which Medical Specialist for You? |
| Explains what a physician specialist is and describes each of the specialty boards. (American Board of Medical Specialists) |
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| Your Health Record |
| Explains what your health/medical record is, how you can access your health record, and privacy issues related to health information. (American Health Information Management Association) |
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| Your Medicare Coverage |
Frequently Asked Questions
Provides information about health care benefits in the Original Medicare plan. (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
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Making informed choices
about your health care |
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| AAHSA Consumer Web Site |
| Provides you with information to make decisions about the services and facilities for the aging that will best suit your needs. (American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging) |
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| All About Hospice: A Consumer’s Guide |
| Helps you understand hospice services, including what services are available, how to pay for those services, and what benefits are covered under insurance programs. (Hospice Association of America) |
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| Choosing Treatment Facilities and Health Professionals |
| Guidelines on finding the right physician and treatment facility for cancer care. (American Cancer Society) |
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| Choosing a Doctor |
| Ideas that may help you find a doctor who is right for you. Also available in Spanish. (National Institute on Aging) |
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| Five Wishes |
This model advance directive, available in 20 languages, is an easy-to-use legal document that lets adults of all ages plan how they want to be cared for in case they become seriously ill. (Aging with Dignity)
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| Guide to Health Care Quality: How to Know It When You See It |
| The tips presented here are provided to help you be active in making decisions about your health care. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) |
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| How to Choose a Health Plan |
| Guidelines and checklists for comparing health plans. (America’s Health Insurance Plans) |
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| How to Choose a Home Care Provider |
| Information on understanding, selecting, and paying for home care services. (National Association for Home Care) |
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| Long-Term Care: Choosing the Right Place |
| Guidelines for patients and families on how to identify and select appropriate long term care. (National Institute on Aging)
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| Making Better Health Care Choices |
| Guides to choosing ambulatory care, assisted living, behavioral health care, health plans, home care and hospice, hospital, laboratory service, and long term care. (Joint Commission) |
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| What to Expect and Demand from a Good Hospice |
| Guidelines for identifying good hospice care. (American Hospice Foundation) |
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| Your Guide to Choosing Quality Health Care |
| Consumer guide with checklists, questions, charts, and other tools for choosing health plans, doctors, treatments, hospitals, and long-term care. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) |
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Locating a health
care provider |
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| AAHSA Member Search |
| An AAHSA member nursing homes locator. (American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging) |
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| Dialysis Facility Compare |
| Provides detailed information about Medicare approved dialysis facilities. (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) |
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| Directories of Health Care Providers |
| Links to web-based directories of physicians, dentists, hospitals, clinics, and other health care providers. (National Library of Medicine) |
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| Directory of America’s Hospitals |
| Find information on a hospital’s location (by region, state, or distance from any ZIP code), type, specialization, and services offered. (American Hospital Association and U.S. News & World Report) |
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| DoctorFinder |
| Allows you to search for a physician by name or by medical specialty. (American Medical Association) |
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| Find a Dentist |
| Searchable database of ADA member dentists. (American Dental Association) |
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| Find an Adult Day Service Near You |
| Directory of adult day services. (National Adult Day Services Association) |
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| Health Plan Report Card |
| Health Plan Report Card is an interactive tool designed to help you find the health plan that’s right for you. (National Committee for Quality Assurance) |
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| Home Care/Hospice Locator |
| Database of home care and hospice services in the U.S. (National Association for Home Care) |
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| Home Health Compare |
| Detailed information about Medicare-certified home health agencies, including home health quality measures. (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) |
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| How To Find a Doctor or Treatment Facility If You Have Cancer |
| Tips for finding a physician or health facility for cancer patients and families. (National Cancer Institute) |
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| Mental Health Services Locator |
| Database of mental health facilities and support services, including residential treatment services, outpatient mental health clinics, hospitals, and multiservice organizations. (Center for Mental Health Services) |
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| Nursing Home Compare |
| Provides detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country. (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) |
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| Participating Physician Directory |
| Searchable directory of physicians who participate in Medicare. (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) |
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| Psychiatric Hospitals and Services |
| Listing of NAPHS member organizations with web sites; also links to other mental health organizations. (National Association of Psychiatric Health System) |
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| Quality Check |
| Quality Check has information about Joint Commission accredited organizations including: an organization accreditation status, accreditation history, and latest performance report. (Joint Commission) |
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| Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator |
| Searchable directory of drug and alcohol treatment programs. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) |
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| Transplant Centers |
| Lists of Medicare-approved heart, lung, heart-lung, liver, and intestinal
transplant centers. (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
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| Who Certified |
| Searchable database of board-certified physicians. (American Board of Medical Specialties) |
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Preparing for your
health care experience |
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| Be Prepared for Medical Appointments: Build Your Question List
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| Checklist of questions you may want to ask your physician during your medical appointment. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
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| ClinicalTrials.gov |
| Provides regularly updated information about federally and privately supported clinical research in human volunteers. Gives information about a trial’s purpose, who may participate, locations, and phone numbers for more details. (National Library of Medicine) |
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| Consumers Tool Kit for Health Care Advance Planning |
| Tools to use in making advance directives, such as a living will or durable power of attorney for health care. (American Bar Association) |
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| Hospital Hints |
| Hints for seniors who plan to enter the hospital. (National Institute for Aging) |
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| How and When Do I Talk about Prescriptions? |
| Checklists of questions to ask when given a new prescription. (National Council on Patient Information and Education) |
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| Make Your Hospital Stay a Safe Stay! |
| Tips for ways you can help ensure a safe hospital stay by being informed and involved in your own care. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) |
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| Medicare Interactive |
| Source of information about health care rights, options, and benefits. (Medicare Rights Center) |
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| Should I Enter a Clinical Trial? |
| Identifies the issues that consumers must consider when thinking about entering a clinical trial. (ECRI and the American Association of Health Plans) |
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| Talking with Your Doctor: A Guide for Older People |
| Offers guidance for older people on how to communicate effectively with their physicians. Also available in Spanish. (National Institute on Aging) |
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| The Patient Care Partnership: Understanding Expectations, Rights, and Responsibilities |
| Replacing the AHA’s Patients’ Bill of Rights, this brochure helps you understand what you should expect during your hospital stay with regard to your rights and responsibilities. Available in English, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. (American Hospital Association) |
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| Understanding Diagnostic Tests |
| Describes common diagnostic tests that you may experience and explains how to prepare for each test, what happens when the test is performed, what risks are associated, and what you should do after the test is completed. (Harvard Medical School) |
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| When Getting Medical Tests |
| Information to help you when making decisions about medical tests. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) |
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| When Getting a Prescription |
| Guidelines for understanding the importance your medication plays in your treatment. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) |
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| When Planning for Surgery |
| Things to consider and questions to ask before you have a surgical procedure. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) |
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| When Talking with Your Doctor |
| Tips to help you and your doctor become partners in improving your health care. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) |
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| When You Need an Operation |
| Identifies issues that you should address when considering surgery. (American College of Surgeons) |
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| Your Relationship with Your Dentist |
| Guidelines for making the most of your dental experience and communicating effectively with your dentist. (American Dental Association) |
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Partnering for safe,
high-quality health care |
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| How to Create a Pill Card |
| This guide was designed to help users create an easy-to-use "pill card" for patients, parents, or anyone who has a hard time keeping track of their medicines. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
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| Patient Guides on Healthcare-associated Infections |
| Strategies for patients working in partnership with their health care providers to help prevent the six most important healthcare-associated infections. (Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Infectious Disease Society of America, the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, The Joint Commission, and the American Hospital Association)
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| 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors |
| Ways to work with your provider and others to make the health care system safer. Also available in Spanish. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) |
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| 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors in Children |
| Fact sheet to help parents help their children avoid medical errors. Also available in Spanish. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) |
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| Be an Active Member of Your Health Care Team |
| Guidelines on how to play an active role in reducing the risks related to using medications. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) |
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| Buying Medicines and Medical Products on the Internet |
| Tips and warnings for consumers about purchasing medical products online. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) |
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| Can I bring my own medical device with me to the hospital? |
| Answers to questions you may have about bringing a medical device to the hospital. Also available in Spanish (ACCE Healthcare Technology Foundation)
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| Find the Latest Drug Product and Safety Information |
| Sources of information on potential drug risks, safety warnings, and other problems such as medication errors. (Food and Drug Administration)
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| Five Steps to Safer Health Care |
| What you can do to get safer health care. Also available in Spanish. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) |
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| Health Related Hoaxes and Rumors |
| Consumer alerts on health care hoaxes and false information. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) |
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| Hospital Infections: Tips for Reducing Your Risk |
| Steps you can take to reduce your risk of infection while in the hospital. (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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| How To Take Your Medications Safely |
| Guidelines on safe medication practices. (Institute for Safe Medication Practices) |
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| How to Create a Pill Card |
| This guide was designed to help users create an easy-to-use "pill card" for patients, parents, or anyone who has a hard time keeping track of their medicines. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
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| How to Spot Health Fraud |
| Guidelines on how to identify fraudulent health care products and product claims. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) |
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| Improving Health Care Quality: A Guide for Patients and Families |
| Guidelines to help you understand health care quality and find the information you need to get better quality health care. Also available in Spanish. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) |
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| Keeping You from Falling: Don’t Let a Fall be Your Last Trip! |
| Brochure designed to help individuals, especially senior citizens, prevent falls at home and in hospital settings. (Emory Center on Health Outcomes and Quality, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University)
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| Medications and You |
| Guidelines to help you use medications safely and effectively. Part of ASHP¿s consumer web site SafeMedication.com. (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) |
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| Patient Guides on Healthcare-associated Infections |
| Strategies for patients working in partnership with their health care providers to help prevent the six most important healthcare-associated infections. (Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Infectious Disease Society of America, the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, The Joint Commission, and the American Hospital Association) |
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| Patient Guides on Healthcare-associated Infections |
| Strategies for patients working in partnership with their health care providers to help prevent the six most important healthcare-associated infections. (Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Infectious Disease Society of America, the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, The Joint Commission, and the American Hospital Association) |
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| Preventing Infections in the Hospital--What You Can Do |
| Fact sheet with tips on how you can help protect yourself from infections in the hospital. (National Patient Safety Foundation) |
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| Preventing Wrong Site Surgery |
| Tips for patients to prevent wrong site surgery. (Joint Commission) |
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| Report a Complaint about a Health Care Organization |
| Form for submitting a complaint about the quality of care at a health care organization. . (Joint Commission) |
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| Speak Up: Help Prevent Errors in Your Care |
| Advice on how you can make your care a positive experience. Individual brochures are available in Spanish, ambulatory care, behavioral health care, health care networks, home care, hospitals (English and Spanish), laboratory services, and long term care. (Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) |
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| State Medical Boards |
| Describes the role of state medical boards in licensing physicians, ensuring acceptable standards of ethics and medical practice, and reviewing complaints about physicians. Includes contact information. (Federation of State Medical Boards) |
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Getting the support
you need |
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| A Consumer Guide to Handling Disputes with Your Employer or Private Health Plan |
| This guide will help you navigate your employer or private health plan¿s internal grievance procedure. (Kaiser Family Foundation) |
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| Angel Flight Central |
| Volunteers transport children and adults who need long-distance transportation to access specialized health care. (Angel Flight Central)
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| BenefitsCheckUpRX |
| Web-based tool that helps you identify the public and private prescription savings programs you qualify for. (Access to Benefits Coalition and American Hospital Association) |
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| Cancer.gov |
| Links to resources for support of cancer patients and their families. (National Cancer Institute) |
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| Caregivers: Elders and Families |
| Information and assistance for gaining access to supportive services in your community. You can also tap into a variety of caregiving resources, including where to find help, ways to take care of others and yourself, joining a caregiver support group, and a variety of other useful resources and ideas. Available in Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, and Korean. (Administration on Aging) |
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| Caring Connections |
| National consumer and community engagement inititative that provides free resources and information to help people make decisions about end-of-life care and services before a crisis. (National Hospice and
Palliative Care Organization) |
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| Coping with Chronic Illness |
| Information to help patients and their families cope with chronic illness. (National Institutes of Health) |
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| Financial Assistance and Debt Crisis Intervention |
| Guidelines for persons suffering financial distress resulting from an illness. (Patient Advocate Foundation) |
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| Financial Assistance for Cancer Care |
| List of government agencies and voluntary organizations | | |
