E-mail this page to a friend Larger Font Size Choose an illness or disability Choose an illness or disability Alzheimer's Disease Amputation Arthritis Asperger Syndrome Attention Deficit Disorder Autism Batten Disease Burn Injuries Celiac Disease Cerebral Palsy Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Crohn's Disease Cystic Fibrosis Dementia Diabetes Down Syndrome Dwarfism Epilepsy Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Fibromyalgia Hearing Loss and Deafness HIV and AIDS Huntington's Disease Intellectual Disability Learning Disabilities Lupus Multiple Sclerosis Narcolepsy Pervasive Developmental Disorders Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome Psoriasis Rare Diseases Scleroderma Speech and Language Impairments Spina Bifida Spinal Cord Injury Thyroid Diseases Traumatic Brain Injury Tuberous Sclerosis Turner Syndrome Ulcerative Colitis Unintentional Injury Vision Problems and Blindness Williams Syndrome

Tips for Getting the Best Possible Health Care

Home > Illnesses and Disabilities Home > Health Care > Tips for Getting the Best Possible Health Care

If you are disabled, there are many things you can do to make sure you are getting the best possible health care:

• Find out who the best doctors are in your area to meet your needs. When shopping around, call the doctor's offices to find out if the doctor has experience treating patients with similar issues.
• Check to be sure that you can physically get into your doctor's office. For instance, are there ramps for people who use wheelchairs?
• Check to be sure that the doctor has the staff and equipment you need.
• Know your body—how you feel when you're well and when you're not. This will help you to know when to see your doctor and also to describe any problems or concerns that you have.
• Think through your concerns before you visit your doctor. Make a list of topics you want to bring up.
• Bring your health records with you.
• Talk openly with your doctor about your concerns.
• Tell your doctor about all the medicines you use, both prescription medicines and medicines that you can buy without a prescription. Don't forget to mention any vitamins or herbal supplements you take.
• Bring a family member or friend with you, if you're concerned you might not remember all your questions and all the answers.
• Get it in writing. Write down, or have someone write down for you, what the doctor says.
• Ask for help finding more information. Ask about books, brochures, or reliable web sites on the Internet.
• If you feel that your doctor is not giving you the care that you need, find another doctor.

Additional Resources

Publications

1.   Be An Active Member of Your Health Care Team - To reduce the risks from using medicines and to get the most benefit, you need to be an active member of the team. This publication gives you tips on how to speak up, ask questions, evaluate your medicine choices, and more.

   http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/active12panelEng.htm

2.   How to Get a Second Opinion - This on-line resource offers tips on how to get a second or third opinion from a health care provider and make a more informed choice about what to do.

   http://www.womenshealth.gov/pub/secondopinion.cfm

3.   How to Talk to Your Doctor or Nurse - Women can improve their level of healthcare just by communicating well with their healthcare providers. This brief on-line publication offers tips and suggestions for talking with your healthcare provider. It explains how to report symptoms and problems to your provider, and important questions to ask about diagnosis and treatment.

   http://www.womenshealth.gov/pub/howtotalk.cfm

4.   Questions are the Answer: Get More Involved in Your Health Care - You can improve your care and the care of your loved ones by taking an active role in your health care. This web site explains how to ask questions, understand your condition, and evaluate your options.

   http://www.ahrq.gov/questionsaretheanswer/index.html

5.   Your Guide to Choosing Quality Health Care - This brochure is a guide to choosing healthcare. It gives the consumer information about how to choose a health plan, a doctor, treatments, a hospital, and long term care.

   http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/qnt/

6. Going to the Doctor (Copyright © NCODH) - At this web site find out tips specifically for people with disabilities about going to the doctor and making sure your needs are met.

   http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~ncodh/orchid/pages/tothedoctor.cfm

7. How to Talk To Your Doctor (Copyright © AARP) - Having a hard time communicating with your doctor? This web page lists great tools to use in order to understand what your doctor is saying, ask questions, and more.

   http://www.aarp.org/health/staying_healthy/prevention/a2003-03-13-talkdr.html

8. Speak Up Initiatives (Copyright © The Joint Commission) - This page links to brochures with information about patient safety and preventing medical mistakes.

   http://www.jointcommission.org/PatientSafety/SpeakUp/

9.   Taking Charge of Your Health (Copyright © RTCIL) - This booklet talks about common health problems that can become big health problems for people with disabilities, and what you can do to live a healthy lifestyle.

   http://www.rtcil.org/products/RTCIL%20publications/Health%20Issues/Taking%20Charge%20of%20Your%20Health.pdf...

10. When You Visit Your Doctor (Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College) - It’s helpful to have questions prepared to ask your doctor at your medical appointments. This web site lists additional sets of questions you can print out and take with you so you'll know what to discuss with your doctor.

    http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/doctor/doctor.shtml

Organizations

1.   Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, OPHS, HHS
2.   Food and Drug Administration, HHS
3.   U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
4. Joint Commission

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated May 15, 2008.