Consumers: General Information
The contents of this section inform consumers about patient safety issues and provides resources and tools for consumers to use to be actively involved in the safety of their health care.
AHRQ Releases Video for Patients Using Blood Thinners
Posted: 10/20/2009 The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released Staying Active and Healthy with Blood Thinners, a 10-minute video to help educate patients about how to safety use anticoagulant drugs, commonly called blood thinners. The video is available in English and Spanish.
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AHRQ Program Encourages Consumer Involvement in Healthcare
Posted: 6/9/2009 The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Advertising Council have launched a series of national public service advertisements encouraging consumer involvement in their healthcare by asking questions when visiting their practitioners. Resources include a series of public service announcements and tips to assist consumers, including a tool to customize a list of questions to take to medical appointments.
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AHRQ Issues Consumer Safety Guide for Blood Thinners
Posted: 6/27/2008 The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has published this guide to help patients safely use the blood thinner Warfarin/Coumadin used to help prevent blood clots. The guide educates patients about potentially dangerous side effects and how to tell whether they are taking the right amount of the drug, which is individualized for each patient.
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ECRI Publishes Resource on Device Reuse
Posted: 6/27/2008 This free online resource from the ECRI Institute features guidance articles from its research library, including recommended practices and policy and procedure development tools on patient communication and device reuse issues. The resource was developed in response to the recent situation in Las Vegas, where nearly 40,000 people were potentially exposed to hepatitis B and C viruses and HIV.
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Guide for Establishing a Patient Safety Advisory Council
Posted: 6/27/2008 This guide developed by researchers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality assists hospital leaders and others in partnering with patients and families through community-based patient safety advisory councils.
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