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As part of its effort to make health care safer and reduce medical errors, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed materials that will help patients choose wisely when it comes to their health care. Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, AHRQ is leading the Government's efforts to reduce medical errors and improve the quality of health care in America. |
20 Tips To Help Prevent Medical Errors
Offers practical tips for preventing medical errors in hospitals, clinics, outpatient surgery centers, doctors' offices, nursing homes, pharmacies, and patients' homes. This patient fact sheet provides questions to ask about medicines, surgery, medical diagnoses, equipment, and lab reports.
20 Tips To Help Prevent Medical Errors (PDF File, 222 KB)
20 recomendaciones para ayudar a prevenir los errores médicos (PDF File, 61 KB) (Spanish)
20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors in Children (PDF File, 283 KB)
20 recomendaciones para ayudar a prevenir los errores médicos en los niños (PDF File, 202 KB) (Spanish)
5 Steps To Safer Health Care
A shorter version of 20 Tips To Help Prevent Medical Errors.
5 Steps To Safer Health Care (PDF File, 360 KB)
Cinco recommendaciones para recibir una mejor atención Médica (Spanish)
Ways You Can Help Your Family Prevent Medical Errors! (Basic version, with pictures)
Como proteger a usted y a su familia de los errores médicos (Basic version, Spanish)
Your Guide To Choosing Quality Health Care
Based on research about the information people want and need when choosing health plans, doctors, treatments, hospitals, and long-term care. It describes quality measures—including consumer ratings, clinical performance measures, and accreditation—what they are, where to find them, and how to use them. The guide has checklists, questions, charts, and other tools to help make health care decisions.
Your Guide To Choosing Quality Health Care (PDF File, 214 KB)
Improving Health Care Quality: A Guide for Patients and Families (PDF File, 75 KB) (Short version)
Mejorando la calidad de la atención médica: guía para los pacientes y las familias (PDF File,
84 KB) (Short version, Spanish)
Quick Checks for Quality
Provides a handy checklist to use when choosing health plans, doctors, treatments, hospitals, and long-term care.
Quick Checks for Quality (PDF File, 140 KB)
Quick Tips
These handy references can help you prepare for various medical tests, handle medications your physician prescribes for you, plan for surgery, and get the most from your appointment with your physician.
Getting Medical Tests (PDF File,
16 KB)
Consejos para cuando necesite pruebas médicas (PDF File, 11 KB) (Spanish)
Getting a Prescription (PDF File, 15 KB)
Consejos para cuando necesite una receta médica (PDF File, 12 KB) (Spanish)
Planning for Surgery (PDF File, 14 KB)
Consejos para cuando necesite operarse (PDF File, 13 KB) (Spanish)
Talking With Your Doctor (PDF File, 17 KB)
Consejos—para cuando visite a su médico (PDF File, 13 KB) (Spanish)
Now You Have a Diagnosis: What's Next?
If you were recently diagnosed with a serious illness or chronic condition, what should you do? This resource helps you to use research and other information to make the best treatment decisions for you. It includes information on Web sites and other resources.
Now You Have a Diagnosis: What's Next? (PDF File, 1 MB)
Le han diagnosticado: ¿Qué es lo que sigue? (PDF File, 1 MB) (Spanish)
Other Information
AHRQ information on other health care topics is available, including preventive health care:
Pocket Guide to Good Health for Adults (PDF File, 333 KB)
Pocket Guide to Good Health for Children (PDF File, 320 KB)
Pocket Guide to Staying Healthy at 50+ (PDF File, 300 KB)
For more patient information, go to Consumers & Patients.
Internet Citation:
Quality of Health Care: Q-Pack. March 2003. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/pathqpack.htm
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