This guide was produced in a cooperative effort by the agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), under the leadership of Secretary Donna E. Shalala:

Administration for Children and Families
Administration on Aging
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Food and Drug Administration
Health Care Financing Administration
Health Resources and Services Administration
Indian Health Service
National Institutes of Health
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

To learn more about the wealth of evidence-based information these agencies provide, visit the HHS Web site at http://www.hhs.gov.

For more information about quality health care, visit the HHS gateway to reliable health information at http://www.healthfinder.gov.

For partnerships to produce this or a more detailed print version of this guide, contact the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) at 800-358-9295 or write to AHRQ Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 8547, Silver Spring, MD 20907.

To link to the AHRQ site or this guide, access our Linking Policy.