New Patient Fact Sheet on Medical Errors Available from AHRQ

Press Release Date: April 4, 2000

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has developed a new fact sheet with practical tips to help people protect themselves from errors in their health care. 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors has specific, research-based recommendations on preventing medical errors related to medicines, hospital stays and surgery. Other general recommendations to help prevent medical errors also are included.

20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors advises patients that the single most important way to help prevent errors is to be an active member of their health care team, taking part in every decision about their care.

To order this free one-page fact sheet, call AHRQ's Publications Clearinghouse, at (800) 358-9295 and ask for AHRQ publication number 00-P038. Or, go to AHRQ's Web site at http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/20tips.htm

Note to Stations: The American Association of Retired Persons will be feeding a video news release about this fact sheet on Tuesday, April 4, and again on Thursday, April 6, from 1:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. EDT, on Telstar 5/Transponder 23.

For more information, please contact Karen Migdail at KMigdail@ahrq.gov or (301) 427-1855.

Internet Citation:

New Patient Fact Sheet on Medical Errors Available from AHRQ. Press Release, April 4, 2000. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2000/20tipspr.htm