Consumer Resources
Antibiotic Use
All About Antibiotics Information from the Michigan Antibiotic Resistance Reduction Coalition that helps explain why the overuse of antibiotics should be avoided. www.mi-marr.org/
Asthma Medication Use
US Center for Disease Control and Prevention Videos, podcasts and audio files are free to view and download; includes videos in Spanish and American Sign Language www.cdc.gov
Get Asthma Help Web site developed and maintained by the Asthma Initiative of Michigan - the state-wide asthma collaborative; includes local information and resources www.getasthmahelp.org
Asthma and Allergy Foundation Educational information; search for a local chapter or support group; includes information in Spanish www.aafa.org
Back Care
Do I need testing for my Low Back Pain? Learn more in this flyer from the Choosing Wisely campaign to help doctors and consumers have meaningful conversations when tests or treatments are being considered. Learn more about the Choosing Wisely campaign at http://consumerhealthchoices.org/detroit/#welcome.
Cancer Screening
American Cancer Society Learn about cancer and programs available in your area www.cancer.org
Child Health Care
Instant Child Immunization Schedule Get the best protection for your child—make sure your child is immunized on schedule. For a complete list of recommended immunizations, just select your child’s birth date at the following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention link. http://www2a.cdc.gov/nip/kidstuff/newscheduler_le/
Bright Futures for Families Family-friendly child health and development information and materials that can be downloaded or purchased, including checklists and pocket guides
www.brightfuturesforfamilies.org
Diabetes Care
SLSD Diabetes Brochure 2009 (PDF) This brochure about Diabetes includes basic educational information and a helpful list describing regular services a person with diabetes should expect to receive and how often the services should be received.
National Diabetes Education Program Describes the four steps to control diabetes and live a long, active life; includes many resources; also available in Spanish.
National Diabetes Education Clearinghouse Reviewed and recommended by the Michigan Partners in Action Coalition, this site explains the importance of oral health for people with Diabetes. www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov
The American Association of Diabetes Educators Includes resources for consumers, including videos, a self-care worksheet and a blog
American Diabetes Association Everything from the basics about diabetes to recipes and links to get advice from experts on how to fit exercise into your daily routine www.diabetes.org
Find a Low-Cost Clinic
Find MI Care Find low-cost health care close to home. www.findmicare.org
Generic Medication Use
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Learn more about generic drugs www.fda.gov
Health Care Cost
Estimate Your Health Care Costs Use this free website to estimate your health care costs. Offered by FAIR Health, a national independent, not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to bring transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information, the website also includes educational information, including articles and videos. The FAIR Health database includes billions of billed medical and dental services. http://www.fairhealth.org/
Heart Disease
American Heart Association Resources regarding heart disease and prevention www.hearthub.org
Centers for Disease Control Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Learn about heart disease prevention from the CDC, one of the major operating components of the US Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/
Hospital Care
The Joint Commission Presented by the Joint Commission, the organization that accredits hospitals, these downloadable “Speak Up” brochures on patient safety topics such as preventing errors and mistakes in your care, preventing infections and what you should know about pain management. www.jointcommission.org
CarePages Commercial Web site that family members can use like a blog when a loved one is in the hospital www.carepages.com
Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group The Hospital Safety Score was created and is administered by The Leapfrog Group, a national leader and advocate in hospital transparency. The Leapfrog Group is an independent, national not-for-profit organization founded more than a decade ago by the nation's leading employers and private healthcare experts. http://www.hospitalsafetyscore.org/about-the-score/about-the-leapfrog-group.html
Improving Your Health
Adolescent and Adult Vaccine Quiz Did you know that certain vaccines are recommended for adults and adolescents? Take this quiz from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to find out which vaccines YOU may need. This quiz provides information for people age 11 years and older. http://www2a.cdc.gov/nip/adultImmSched/
Ask Me 3 Patient education program designed to promote better communication between health care providers and patients in order to improve health outcomes. Includes downloadable brochures for patients, providers and employers; produced by the Partnership for Clear Health Communication at the National Patient Safety Foundation http://www.npsf.org/for-healthcare-professionals/programs/ask-me-3/
AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) Multiple guides and resources for patients and families on improving health care quality; topics include staying healthy, choosing quality health care, getting safe care, understanding diseases and conditions and comparing medical treatments; from the US Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality www.ahrq.gov
AHRQ - Advice From Dr. Carolyn Clancy Advice column of Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the US Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality www.ahrq.gov
AHRQ - Consumer Guide to Health Insurance Describes different kinds of health insurance and answers common questions; includes a glossary of health insurance terms and resources for more information; from the US Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality www.ahrq.gov
Care About Your Care An effort to raise awareness about what you can do to identify and get better health care. It includes this short video that lays out the quality crisis facing America and challenges viewers to ask themselves if they and their families are getting the highest quality care. www.careaboutyourcare.org
Choosing Wisely How can physicians and patients have the important conversations necessary to ensure the right care is delivered at the right time? Choosing Wisely® aims to answer that question.
An initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation, Choosing Wisely is focused on encouraging physicians, patients and other health care stakeholders to think and talk about medical tests and procedures that may be unnecessary, and in some instances can cause harm. http://choosingwisely.org/
For a list of tests and treatments that patients and physicians should discuss, please visit http://choosingwisely.org/?page_id=13
Consumer Dangers ConsumerDangers.com is dedicated to keeping the public informed about consumer dangers and safety issues associated with numerous products that can cause the public harm. The website is continually updated with breaking news from Government agencies, Watchdog Groups, and concerned citizens about Recalls & Safety affecting consumers. The team at consumerdangers.com strives to provide a comprehensive free resource for the public to learn more about every day products that can potentially cause harm. http://www.consumerdangers.com/
Introduction to the Patient Centered Medical Home Educatoinal information, describing an approach to providing comprehensive primary care that many doctors in Southeast Michigan and throughout the country are pursuing; from Consumer Reports.
Questions are the Answers View videos seen on TV and find tips about talking with your care givers, planning for surgery and getting a prescription; produced by the US Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality www.ahrq.gov
Michigan Steps Up Tools to create a personal health plan, record daily achievements, update goals weekly and take a health risk assessment, from the Michigan Surgeon General and the Michigan Department of Community Health www.michigan.gov
How to find Trustworthy Health Information on the Web (PDF) Brief informational brochure
New York Times Health Guide A comprehensive library of medical topics, including in-depth articles on diseases, tests, symptoms, injuries and surgeries. The encyclopedic reference is frequently updated and reviewed by doctors, medical writers and editors and includes extensive links to The Times' own archive of news and features http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/index.html