Resources On the Web
Physician Profiles
http://www.physicians.dph.state.ct.us/web_public/web_public.show
Questions Are The Answer
Get more involved in your health care.
http://www.ahrq.gov/questionsaretheanswer/
Medical Billing Advocates of America
"Committed to educating and arming the public with the knowledge they need, our mission is to ensure that no one pays a dime more than they truly owe for medical care." ... more
Quicken Medical Expense Manager 2.0
Easily manage multiple insurance plans, including Medicare and supplemental plans; always know what your next step is - send a payment, wait for your insurance ... more
Life Expectancy
Life expectancy in the U.S. has reached its highest point ever, but it is exceeded by the rates in 41 other countries ... more
Joint Commission
Find a health care organization that meets The Joint Commission's patient safety and quality standards ... more
CT Attorney General's Drug Prices Page
You could be paying too much for your prescription drugs at your local pharmacy. Use this drug proce finder for savings ... more
Health Care Reform
The U.S. health care system is the most expensive in the world, and it yields worse results than the systems in Britain, Canada, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, according to a report issued this week by the Commonwealth Fund. The report found that the U.S. differs from better-performing nations by not having universal health insurance.
MRSA Watch
MRSA Watch helps patients, medical staff and health industry professionals monitor the latest MRSA news via a unique directory of article excerpts and links to further information ... more
VOCA
Victims of chiropractic abuse ... more
Federation of State Medical Boards
Search each state's disciplinary database ... more
Physician profiles and disciplinary histories ... more
Hospital Compare
This tool provides you with information on how well the hospitals in your area care for all their adult patients with certain medical conditions. This information will help you compare the quality of care hospitals provide. Hospital Compare was created through the efforts of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and organizations that represent hospitals, doctors, employers, accrediting organizations, other Federal agencies and the public. View
Infection Prevention Toolkit
Approximately 2 million health-care-associated infections occur in hospitals in the United States each year ... more. A free copy of the 2005 International Infection Prevention Week tool kit is available from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. ... View
CAPS
Consumers Advancing Patient Safety (CAPS) is introducing a new online forum at www.patientsafety.org where consumers and healthcare providers can share information to improve healthcare safety.
My Medical Control
This article from Forbes is about My Medical Control, which runs bills through a database that analyzes the 12,000 commonly used medical codes and checks them against a wide range of reimbursement policies in 200 metropolitan areas. ... View
Health Laws Index
Different laws that may apply to your CT managed care plans ... View
Office of the Healthcare Advocate
Help with CT managed care plans ... View
Rate and Review Physicians
"Users are asked to consider a doctor's knowledge, helpfulness and punctuality when providing a rating View
DocFinder
"The site directs people o state medical boards, where they can check out a doctor's history. View
The Leapfrog Group
Hospital quality ratings View
Mortality Rates
"This site measures hospitals based on mortality and complication rates. The site provides free data for 28 procedures or diagnoses, from back and neck surgery to partial hip replacements. View
Check Best Practices
"This site run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lets people check how often hospitals follow best practices for heart attacks, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical-infection prevention." View
Hospital Payment Information
“ As part of his commitment to make health care more affordable and accessible, President Bush directed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to make cost and quality data available to all Americans. ” View
MRSA Survivors Network
“Dedicated to giving support and information for those living with MRSA (staph infection)” View
Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs
“The information on this website can help you learn about more affordable drug treatment options to discuss with your physician.” View
RealAge, Inc.
A consumer-health media company and provider of personalized health information and management tools. View
As Angry Patients Vent Online, Doctors Sue Them
Article from The Wall Street Journal View
eHealth Insurance View
Compare Hospitals View
Medicare | CMS Adds Searchable Database of Lowest-Quality Nursing Homes Nationwide to Web Site
[Apr 24, 2008]
CMS on Thursday added to the Nursing Home Compare Web site a searchable database with the names of nursing homes that rank in the lowest 5% to 10% in quality based on state inspection results, the Wall Street Journal reports. CMS first released the information in the database as a list of Special Focus Facilities that includes about 130 of the 16,000 nursing homes in the U.S. In addition to the database, the Web site, which CMS updates monthly, includes summarized information from state inspections and data that nursing homes must submit to regulators about their residents.
Cochrane Consumer Network
The Cochrane Consumer Network is made up of fellow consumers who are committed to the philosophies of The Cochrane Collaboration and the importance of consumer participation in informed healthcare decision-making processes. View
Health News Review
Objective ratings of health and medical journalism. View
Foundation for Informed Decision Making View
Allergy websites for general allergy info are:
American Academy of Asthma Allergy and Immunology (AAAAI) View
American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI): View
For food allergies:
Food Allergy Initiative, View
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network: View
For Latex allergies:
American Latex Allergy Organization View
Latex allergy links View
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On the Web cont.
The Best and Worst in Health Care, 2005
Commentary from Leif Wellington Haase of The Century Foundation View
Being a Patient
A multi-part series in The New York Times. Registration required. View
Center for Medical Consumers
Founded in 1976, the Center is a non-profit advocacy organization active in both statewide and national efforts to improve the quality of health care. View
Public Citizen
Lots of important information here. "A national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1971 to represent consumer interests in Congress, the executive branch and the courts." View
Consumers Union
"Since 1936, Consumers Union has fought for access to affordable, high quality health care for all. Our intensive efforts to extend and improve health care coverage and services, quality, and safety include our national campaigns on hospital infections and prescription drugs and other targeted efforts described on this site." View
Families USA
"Families USA is a national nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the achievement of high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans." View
Connecticut Health Policy Project
"A non-profit, non-partisan research and educational organization dedicated to improving access to affordable, quality health care for all Connecticut residents." View
Patient2Patient
"Provides patients and caregivers with comprehensive guidance and direction to the best medical information and resources on the Internet for both chronic and acute health conditions." View
"How to be a Smart Patient"
"This four-part guide will help you map your way through the murk and give you more power over your care". From U.S. News & World Report. View
"Taking Care of Yourself"
A two-page brochure on how to become a better-informed health care consumer. Download PDF
Case Study: The Harvard Center for Medical Simulation's Labor and Delivery Crisis Resource Management Course
The Harvard Center for Medical Simulation developed a realistic simulation experience to help labor and delivery care providers improve teamwork, communication, and crisis management skills. View
Further Reading
The Medical Malpractice Myth by Tom Baker
"A terrific book that succeeds fully in realizing its basic goals of offering an accessible debunking of the medical malpractice myth." View Amazon reviews
Bioethics Mediation: A Guide to Shaping Shared Solutions by Nancy Neveloff Dubler & Carol B. Liebman
"Provides the conceptual framework supporting the need for mediation in the medical context, then provides real-world case studies and analyses detailing the "how-to's" for effective bioethics mediations." View Amazon reviews
After Harm: Medical Error and the Ethics of Forgiveness by Nancy Berlinger
"Dr. Berlinger's thoughtful and graceful work offers reflection on aspects of heath care, ethics and faith in ways both necessary and new. Her work provides a critique of bioethics and a challenge for the sort of conversations we need to move forward." View Amazon reviews
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