Employer Materials: Overview
These materials help guide how to use the customizable workforce materials to develop
communications about quality care. The communications can help explain changes in benefits,
wellness programs, disease management, how to choose higher quality providers, or other topics.
To use this Toolkit, start by reading Using the Toolkit. It describes the topics covered in
the workforce materials, points out special features, and gives you tips on how to use them.
Workforce Materials: Overview
These materials are free Microsoft® Word files about getting evidence-based, quality care.
We tested these materials with employees and union members for appeal and comprehension.
You can tailor these materials to the needs of your organization. You can use them in newsletters,
email alerts, intranet pages, brochures, and learning events. You can also adapt them to
other media, such as video.
Each document has placeholder text that tells where you can insert information about your organization.
You will need to delete or adapt the embedded instructions and placeholder text in the files before
distributing to employees. Also, if you want to use the sample photos, we tell you how to
purchase them for a small fee. For technical help in adapting the text and photos in these
documents, see Technical Help.
Workforce Materials: Basics of Quality
Understanding the basics of health care quality and the importance of evidence-based
information (4 files)
If you want to check how the formatting is supposed to look in the workforce documents, you
can download a PDF.
|
How do we know which types of health care work best? |
|
|
Tells how medical research is done to find out which types of care work best.
Explains how research evidence can be used to set standards for quality of care.
Discusses how health care providers can use quality standards as guidelines for
good patient care. (7 pages)
|
|
Information about health care quality: What it is and where to find it |
|
|
Describes different sources of information about health care quality.
Suggests general strategies for finding information about quality.
Includes links to other resources. (7 pages)
|
|
How you can use information about health care quality to get better care: Seven examples |
|
|
Vignettes and links that show how people can use information about quality. (8 pages)
|
Workforce Materials: Cost and Quality
Cost and quality — how to choose quality and make wise use of money spent on health care (4 files)
If you want to check how the formatting is supposed to look in the workforce documents, you
can download a PDF.
|
Making wise use of money spent on health care: Let's put quality first |
|
|
Briefly discusses quality of health care and how it varies. Explains how
spending money on poor quality care hurts employees and hurts the company.
Invites employees to join with the company in putting quality first as a
way to help keep health care spending under control without sacrificing
quality of care. (7 pages)
|
|
To get better health care, be informed and involved |
|
|
Explains three ways employees can help safeguard the quality of their
health care. This includes being better informed, becoming more involved in making
health care decisions, and managing their health. Discusses ways to help prevent medication mistakes. (4 pages)
|
|
Tips for getting the care that works best for your condition |
|
|
Describes findings from studies that show how people do not always
receive the care that works best. Gives tips on what employees can do
to help make sure they are getting the best care. Includes an example
of using medical research findings to find the best treatment for
a back injury. Discusses the relationship between cost and quality
of care. (3 pages)
|
|
Tips for getting the right amount of care (as much care as you need but no unnecessary care) |
|
|
Defines the "right amount" of care. Explains how getting as much care
as you need is crucial to good health. Gives tips on getting the most
effective care and the right amount of care (not too much and not too
little). (3 pages)
|
Workforce Materials: Tips for Quality Care
Tips for getting good quality care before, during, and after a health care appointment (4 files)
If you want to check how the formatting is supposed to look in the workforce documents, you
can download a PDF.
|
Summary of tips for getting good quality health care before, during, and after a health care appointment |
|
|
A one-page overview of what patients can do to make their health care appointments
more successful. Includes links to the three companion documents (listed below)
that provide more detailed discussion of these tips. (1 page)
|
|
Tips on what to do before your health care appointment |
|
|
Gives practical tips to help patients prepare for an appointment. (4 pages)
|
|
Tips on what to do during your health care appointment |
|
|
Gives tips on what to bring along to an appointment and how to communicate
effectively with a health care provider. Urges the reader to be assertive
about asking questions and getting answers. (3 pages)
|
|
Tips for following through on treatment and managing your health |
|
|
Discusses the need to be careful when starting a new treatment or medication.
Offers tips on learning more about a health condition or treatment. Discusses
how people who have chronic health conditions can learn about ways to stay
healthy and get support that they need. (3 pages)
|
Workforce Materials: Using the internet
Help in using the internet to find health information you can trust (2 files)
If you want to check how the formatting is supposed to look in the workforce documents, you
can download a PDF.
|
Health information on the internet: A checklist to help you judge which websites to trust |
|
|
Gives a checklist of eight features to look for in evaluating health websites.
Identifies four government websites that are good places to start an internet
search. Includes general tips about using information from websites. (6 pages)
|
|
A list of recommended websites that have trustworthy health information |
|
|
Describes websites that offer accurate, up-to-date health information that is
based on evidence from medical research. (4 pages)
|