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How to Get Quality Health Care

GETTING QUALITY HEALTH CARE can help you stay healthy and recover faster when you become sick.

But what exactly is quality health care and how can you recognize it? According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), quality health care is:

• Getting the health care services you need
• At the right time (when you need them)
• In the right way (using the appropriate test or procedures)
• To achieve the best possible results

Here are some steps you can take to help ensure your quality of care:

• Work together with your doctor and other members of the health care team to make decisions about your care.
• Ask questions. You should keep asking questions until you understand what’s wrong with you and what you need to do to get better.
• Find and use quality information from a reliable source when making health care choices.

DIAGNOSIS

Ask your doctor these questions about your diagnosis:

• What’s wrong with me?
• What do I need to do to get better?
• Where can I get more information about my condition?

MEDICAL TESTS

If your doctor recommends you get a lab test, an X-ray, or another kind of test, ask:

• How will the test be done?
• How accurate will the results be?
• What are the benefits and risks?
• When and how will I receive the results?
• What should I do if I don’t receive them?

PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION

If you receive a prescription for a new medicine, ask:

• What’s the name of the medicine?
• What’s it supposed to do?
• When should I take the medicine, and how much should I take?
• Does the medicine have any side effects?

SURGERY

If your doctor recommends surgery, ask:

• What kind of operation do I need?
• Why do I need this operation?
• What are its benefits and risks?
• How long will it take to recover?
• What will happen if I don’t have the operation?
• Are there any other treatments I could try instead?
• Where can I get a second opinion?

REPORT CARDS

Report cards and other quality reports include consumer ratings, clinical performance measures, or both. They can help you select the right treatment and the right health care provider based on what’s most important to you. You may be able to get quality reports from:

• Your employer: Ask your personnel office for information on health plans.
• Health plans: Ask the plan’s customer service office about quality reports.
• Other health care providers: Hospitals, nursing homes, and community health clinics may have quality reports.

Quality care is your right. Being an informed health care consumer can help you find it.

To learn more: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, www.ahrq.gov