Understand your medical condition and the proposed treatment

Being an informed patient includes learning about your medical condition, the medical procedure or treatment that has been recommended, and suggestions on next steps.

HealthFinder® (available in Spanish) Visit: http://www.healthfinder.gov
Developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this website provides access to carefully selected information from more than 1,500 health-related organizations. It provides a description of the condition, and information on causes, risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

National Library Of Medicine Visit: http://www.nlm.nih.gov
Includes links to health related sites, resources and databases that can be used to research health conditions and diseases.

For more information or suggestions, download How to Find Reliable Health Information, a resource providing consumers with a list of sites recommended by the Medical Library Association and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Next Steps After Your Diagnosis: Finding Information and Support (Also available in Spanish)

You the Smart Patient: An Insiders Handbook for Getting the Best Treatment

Having Surgery? What You Need to Know (Also available in Spanish)

Federal Agency for Health Care Policy and Research -- http://www.ahcpr.gov/consumer/ The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is the health services research arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). AHRQ is a home to research centers and a major source of funding and technical assistance for health services research and research training at leading U.S. universities and other institutions.

The Employer Health Care Alliance Cooperative -- http://www.alliancehealthcoop.com/ The Alliance is an employer owned and directed not-for-profit cooperative that helps companies manage the total cost of ensuring the health and well being of their workforce.

Hospital Compare - A quality tool for adults, including people with Medicare
http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov
Hospital Compare provides you with information on how well the hospitals in your area care for all their adult patients with certain medical conditions.

MetaStar -- http://www.metastar.com/
MetaStar is a quality improvement organization dedicated to ensuring the healthiest lives possible. MetaStar works with healthcare providers to improve the quality of care.

National Institutes of Health -- http://www.nih.gov/
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research.

Arizona Medical Board -- http://azmd.gov/
The Arizona Medical Board licenses qualified allopathic physicians (MD’s). The Board is also responsible for investigating patient complaints against physicians and when appropriate, taking disciplinary action against their licenses.

Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners -- http://www.azosteoboard.org/
The Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners licenses and regulates over 1,800 osteopathic physicians. Of those, approximately 1,400 practice in the state.