Asking Questions Can Make a Big Difference!

Asking questions when you go to the doctor can make a big difference to your health.  Knowing as much as you can about your health conditions and partnering with you doctor is very important.  On this page you will find information that will help you better understand healthcare quality and give you practical ideas and tools for talking with your healthcare providers.  Please use the links to the left to get more information about getting ready for appointments and making choices about your care.

Ask Me 3
The National Patient Safety Foundation started this campaign to help make the communication between healthcare providers and patients better.  The program encourages patients and consumers to know the answers to 3 questions.

Questions Are the Answer

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has launched an interactive website which encourages providers and their patients to engage in effective communication to ensure safer care and better health outcomes.   One of the best ways to communicate with your healthcare provider is to ask questions and encourage discussion about your health.

The following tools are available for you to download:

-An interactive "Question Builder" tool that enables patients to create, prioritize and print a personalized list of questions based on their health condition.

-A brochure, titled "Be More Involved in Your Health Care: Tips for Patients," that offers helpful suggestions to follow before, during and after a medical visit.

-Notepads designed for use in medical offices to help patients prioritize the top three questions they wish to address during their appointment.

Visit the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) website for more information, to watch videos of patients interacting with their providers, and to see sample questions and suggested discussion topics based on your health care needs.

What is Healthcare Quality?

This may be the first question you want to ask yourself when you or a loved one needs healthcare.  Download this document created by the Oregon Health Care Quality Organization to learn what quality healthcare is and how you can get it.

Power to the Patients
This article from The Atlantic gives ideas for how patients can get more involved with their health and healthcare.