Patient Issues

• Latest News
• Scant Progress Seen on Cutting Medical Errors (11/04/2004, Reuters Health)
• Poor, Uninsured Don't Fill Emergency Rooms (10/20/2004, Reuters Health)
• Call Made for Better U.S. Dementia Care (10/14/2004, United Press International)
• Thompson Launches "Early Offers" Pilot Program to Speed Compensation to Injured Patients, Help Reduce Medical Costs (09/21/2004, Dept. of Health and Human Services)
• More News on Patient Issues

• Overviews
• Mastering the Maze: Taking Control of Your Health Care (College of American Pathologists)
• Patient Care Partnership: Understanding Expectations, Rights and Responsibilities (American Hospital Association) - Links to PDF File
  Also available in: Spanish

• Health Check Tools
• HowsYourHealth (Dartmouth College) - interactive quiz

• Coping
• Coping with Chronic Illness (National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center) - Links to PDF File

• Related Issues
• 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
  Also available in: Spanish
• Clinical Research FAQ (National Human Genome Research Institute)
• Guide to Understanding Informed Consent (National Cancer Institute)
• Improving Health Care Quality (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
  Also available in: Spanish
• JAMA Patient Page: Quality of Life (American Medical Association)
• Protecting Pension and Health Care Benefits after Job Loss (Dept. of Labor)

• Research
• Adverse Events after Hospital Discharge (American College of Physicians)
• AHRQ Report Describes Enhancements to Health Care Working Conditions That Could Improve Patient Safety (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
• Effects of Telling Patients about Medical Errors (American College of Physicians)
• National Healthcare Disparities Report: Summary (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
• National Healthcare Quality Report: Summary (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
• New AHRQ Evidence Report Finds Autopsies Help to Uncover Medical Diagnostic Discrepancies (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
• New Evidence Report Illustrates Links Between Health Literacy and Health Care Use and Outcomes (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
• New HHS Report Shows Problems in Health Care System Are Worsening as Medical Litigation Crisis Deepens (Dept. of Health and Human Services)

• Directories
• Who Cares: Sources of Information about Health Care Products and Services (Federal Trade Commission)

• Organizations
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
• Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

• Newsletters/Print Publications
• Understanding Health Literacy and Its Barriers (National Library of Medicine)

• Law and Policy
• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Compliance Guide (Dept. of Labor)
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Insurance Reform (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
• Medication Assisted Treatment Patients’ Rights (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
  Also available in: Spanish
• Office for Civil Rights - Frequently Asked Questions with Answers (Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights)

• Children
• 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors in Children (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
  Also available in: Spanish
• Children in Hospitals Frequently Experience Medical Injuries (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
• Patient Safety Problems in Hospitalized Children Are Substantial (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
  Also available in: Spanish

• Other Languages
• Patient Care Partnership: Understanding Expectations, Rights and Responsibilities (American Hospital Association) - Links to PDF File - Multi-language site