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Quality
Health Care - The Variations
Table
Of Contents
Quality
Health Care - The Variations
Health
Care: How to Measure Quality
How
To Assess Health Plans - Questions To Ask
Choosing
A Doctor
Choosing
Treatments
Choosing
A Hospital
Choosing
Long Term Care
Quality Health Care
USA
Health
care quality varies in this country—a lot. For example, some
health plans and doctors simply do a better job than others
of helping you stay healthy and getting you better if you are
ill.
Research shows that Americans want and value quality health
care. And that’s a good thing. Because when you make health
care choices that offer the best possible care, you are most
likely to get the best possible results.
So when it comes to making major health care decisions—about
health plans, doctors, treatments, hospitals, and long-term
care—how can you tell which choices offer quality health care,
and which do not?
Fortunately, more and more public and private groups are working
on ways to measure and report on the quality of health care.
This means there is more and more information to help you make
choices that improve the quality of your own care.
The goal of this guide is to help you find and use such information
to choose quality health care. It can also help you measure
quality for yourself according to what is most important to
you. You can trust the information in this guide because it
is based on research about what people want and need in order
to make quality health care choices.
Here are some important things to remember as you make such
choices:
-
Quality matters. It can be measured, and it can be improved.
-
Take
part in every decision about your health.
-
See yourself and your doctor as a team. You need to work
together to get the best care.
-
Ask questions, and make sure you understand the answers.
The only “bad” question is the one you wish you had asked.
-
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.
-
Find and use reliable health care information. Ask your
doctor or nurse, use your library, explore the Internet.
Bookmark and use this guide. It can help you and your family
answer many of the health care questions you will have.
Make quality health care choices. Your good health, and your
family’s, depends on it. |
