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Using Physician Rating Websites

PREPARED PATIENT ARTICLE

New health review sites promise to help you make this important decision for yourself or your loved ones. However, patients and physicians alike are finding that these doctor reviews aren’t as transparent or useful as they might seem.

Young Adults Taking the Health Care Reins

PREPARED PATIENT ARTICLE

Your parents still might be willing to do your laundry, but if you’re over 18, they can’t make your medical decisions. Are you ready to navigate the adult health care system?

Do I Have to Go to the Dentist? Oral Health Starts Early

PREPARED PATIENT ARTICLE

Increasingly, children are losing their baby teeth not due to the budding of their permanent teeth but to the ravages of early decay and cavities. For some parents, this is a result of a lack of understanding about the importance of oral health, even at an early age.

Find Good Health Care

PREPARED PATIENT RESOURCE | Find Good Health Care

The quality of doctors and hospitals varies. Here is information to help you find the right care.

Deciding When to Seek Care

PREPARED PATIENT RESOURCE | Find Good Health Care

It can be hard to decide just when to go to the doctor or other medical professional for a problem. These resources can help you make the call.

How to Find and Use Health Insurance

PREPARED PATIENT ARTICLE

Whether you have a preexisting condition or not, are new to shopping for insurance or trying to figure out what coverage you do have, there are resources to help with this often complicated but important purchase.

How to Choose a Hospital

PREPARED PATIENT RESOURCE | Find Good Health Care

Sometimes, choosing a hospital is a matter of picking the one closest to you, the one where your doctor works. But if you have options, there are resources to help select the best one for you.

Finding a New Doctor

PREPARED PATIENT RESOURCE | Find Good Health Care

Choosing a doctor and building a relationship with him or her is an important first step to getting and staying healthy.
Here's advice on how to locate a new physician to make sure you get care that fits your needs.

In Case of Emergency: Who's Who in the ER

PREPARED PATIENT ARTICLE

Knowing who you will likely encounter during an ER visit may help you get the best care at a time when you may be feeling anxious and afraid.

Giving Your Doctor the Pink Slip

PREPARED PATIENT ARTICLE

Feeling uneasy with or disrespected by your current doctor? Our experts — both physicians — talk frankly about rocky spots in doctor-patient relationships.

Retail Clinics: What's in Store for Health Care

PREPARED PATIENT ARTICLE

You're sick, but your doctor's office says the next open appointment is in two weeks. Or you're traveling, don't have a primary care physician or don't have health insurance. For all these reasons and more, potential patients are turning increasingly to retail clinics to cure their minor ailments.

Hospital Report Cards: Grading Facilities Near You

PREPARED PATIENT ARTICLE

Consumers are awash in information they can use to find the best deals on everything from dishwashers to car insurance. But is it possible to comparison shop for a hospital?

When Getting to the Doctor Is Half the Battle

PREPARED PATIENT ARTICLE

All patients have their stories of hassles: hustling against traffic to inconvenient doctor appointments, not to mention waiting on hold to schedule a follow-up visit. But what if you couldn't read the road signs on your way or hear the options on your physician's answering service?

Chronic Conditions: When Do You Call the Doctor?

PREPARED PATIENT ARTICLE

From high cholesterol to HIV, millions of Americans have a medical condition that they manage mostly on their own. How do you know when it’s time to call in the professionals?

How to Make the Most of Your Doctor Visit

PREPARED PATIENT RESOURCE | Prepared Patient Videos

Over the years, the Center for Advancing Health has listened to hundreds of people discuss their experiences with their health and health care. One thing that seems to come up for many people is how hard it can be to find good health care and make the most of it, which includes knowing what to do at a doctor's appointment. We've come up with these tips to help.

Working With Your Doctor's Office

PREPARED PATIENT RESOURCE | Prepared Patient Videos

Going to the doctor requires you to be prepared with some key information ahead of your visit. There's also important information to gather while you are at your doctor's office or health clinic. These tips can help you make the most of your health care.

My Prepared Patient Story: Jessie Gruman

PREPARED PATIENT RESOURCE | Prepared Patient Videos

CFAH President and founder Jessie Gruman tells how she became a prepared patient.

Who’s Who in Your Doctor’s Office

PREPARED PATIENT RESOURCE | Communicate With Your Doctors

Medical offices have a lot of staff but one common goal—helping you, the patient. Here are some of the people you may meet during your doctor’s appointment.

Resources to help people find good care and make the most of it.