Clearing House of Communications Materials

This clearinghouse was developed by FACCT - The Foundation for Accountability. The Leapfrog Group and FACCT are working together to develop and test an enrollee communications tool kit on patient safety. Check this page for updates.

How to use this clearinghouse:

Skim the printed version of the table to get a sense of how many tools are listed, which organizations and companies have developed them and how you can access them. Note that each tool is numbered.

When you are ready to download tools locate the ones you want in the table, using the numbers will make this fast and easy. Click on the title of the tool in the first column entitled "Title of Communication" or click on the address of the tool in the last column entitled "File Information".

Type and Approximate Word Count	Developed By	Key Contact	Guidelines for Distribution	File Information
1. Speak Up: Help Prevent Errors in Your Care Description: This program urges patients to get involved in their care. It provides advice on how patients can make their care a positive experience.
Type: Tip Sheet Word count: 1250	Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations	Cathy Barry-Ipema Communications Dir. JCAHO (630) 792-5630	Public Domain. Citation: Speak Up: Help Prevent Errors in Your Care. Patient Fact Sheet. March 2002. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations	Publicly available
2. Five Steps to Safer Health Care and Cinco Recomendaciones para Recibiruna Mejor Description: A fact sheet that tells consumers how to get safer health care in five simple steps.
Type: Tip Sheet Word count: 550	Quality Interagency Coordination Task Force (QuIC)	Nancy Foster QuIC Coordinator Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Ph: (301) 594-1609	Public Domain. Citation: Five Steps to Safer Health Care. Patient Fact Sheet. January 2001. Quality Interagency Coordination Task Force.	Publicly available
3. 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors Description: Twenty action steps consumers can take to help prevent medical errors.
Type: Tip Sheet Word count: 800	Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)	Christine G. Williams Executive Office Center Suite 501 2101 East Jefferson Street Rockville, MD 20852 Ph: (301) 594-1360	Public Domain. Citation: 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors. Patient Fact Sheet. AHRQ Publication No. 00-PO38, February 2000. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.	Publicly available
4. 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors in Children Description: Twenty action steps intended to help parents help their children avoid medical errors.
Type: Fact Sheet	Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)		Public Domain. Citation: 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors in Children. Patient Fact Sheet. AHRQ Publication No. 02-P034, September 2002. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.	Publicly available
5. Your Guide to Choosing Quality Health Care (see section on Choosing a Hospital) and Quick Checks for Quality Description: Helps consumers choose health plans, doctors, treatments, hospitals, and long-term care using quality information.
Type: Descriptive information and checklists Word count: Hospital section only: 1800 Summary Brochure: 345	Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)	Christine G. Williams Executive Office Center Suite 501 2101 East Jefferson Street Rockville, MD 20852 Ph: (301) 594-1360	Public Domain. Citation: Your Guide to Choosing Quality Health Care: Summary. Consumer Information, December 1998. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Rockville, MD	Your Guide to Choosing Quality Health Care Publicly available Quick Checks for Quality Click here.
6. Be Informed: Questions To Ask Your Doctor Before You Have Surgery Description: Twelve questions consumers should ask their doctors before having elective surgery, and the reasons for asking them.
Type: Tip sheet Word count: 3600	Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)	Christine G. Williams Executive Office Center Suite 501 2101 East Jefferson Street Rockville, MD 20852 Ph: (301) 594-1360	Public Domain. Citation: Be Informed: Questions To Ask Your Doctor Before You Have Surgery. AHCPR Publication No. 95-0027, January 1995. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Rockville, MD.	Publicly available
7. Prescription Medicines and You: Taking Medicines? This Guide Can Help Description: Helps consumers avoid medication errors and get the most from their prescription medicines.
Type: Tip Sheet Word count: 4500	Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE)	AHRQ Christine G. Williams Executive Office Center Suite 501 2101 East Jefferson Street Rockville, MD 20852 Ph: (301) 594-1360 NCPIE 4915 St. Elmo Ave., Suite 505 Bethesda, MD 20814-6053 Ph: (301) 656-8565 Fax: (301) 656-4464	Public Domain.Citation: Prescription Medicines and You. AHCPR Publication No. 96-0056, October 1999. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research and the National Council on Patient Information and Education, Rockville, MD, and Washington, DC.	Publicly available
8. Your Role in Safe Medication Use Description: A consumer focused brochure that offers tips on ensuring safe medication use.
Type: Patient guide Word count: 1200	Written by the Institute for Family Centered Care for the Massachusetts Hospital Association (781) 272-8000 email	Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors (MCPME)	Copyrighted materials Citation: Copyright © 1999 by The Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors.	Publicly available
9. Treat Medication Samples with Respect Description: A medication safety alert that offers information on the safe use of sample medications.
Type: Patient brochure Word count: 400	Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)	1800 Byberry Rd. Suite 810 Huntingdon Valley, Pa. 19006 Ph: (215) 947-7797 Fax: (215) 914-1492 email	Copyrighted materials. May be used with citation: Copyright The Institute for Safe Medication Practices. All rights reserved.	Publicly available
10. Prescription safety begins in the office Description: A medication safety alert that offers information on minimizing the risks associated with new prescriptions.
Type: Patient brochure Word count: 400	Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)	1800 Byberry Rd. Suite 810 Huntingdon Valley, Pa. 19006 Ph: (215) 947-7797 Fax: (215) 914-1492 email	Copyrighted materials. May be used with citation: Copyright The Institute for Safe Medication Practices. All rights reserved.	Publicly available
11. How to Take Your Medications Safely Description: A medication safety alert that offers a checklist of questions consumers can ask their doctor about their prescriptions, and tips on safely using over the counter medications.
Type: Patient brochure Word count: 2800	Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)	1800 Byberry Rd. Suite 810 Huntingdon Valley, Pa. 19006 Ph: (215) 947-7797 Fax: (215) 914-1492 email	Copyrighted materials. May be used with citation: Copyright The Institute for Safe Medication Practices. All rights reserved.	Publicly available
12. Reducing Medical Error and Improving Patient Safety: Success Stories from the Front Lines of Medicine Description: Stories from eight institutions and organizations that have taken steps toward improving patient safety and reducing medical error.
Type: Booklet of 9 articles Word count: Shortest article: 2100 words Longest article: 3500 words	A.C.T. (Accelerating Change Today) for America’s Health – an initiative of… National Coalition on Health Care and Institute for Healthcare Improvement	Peggy Rhoades, Executive Director 1200 G St, NW Ste. 750 Washington, DC 20005 Ph: (202) 638-7151 email Institute for Healthcare Improvement 375 Longwood Ave., 4th Fl. Boston, MA 02215 Ph: (617) 754-4800 email	Copyright information currently not available.	Publicly available
13. Helping You Choose the Hospital for You Description: A checklist of questions consumers should ask thier doctors when choosing a hospital.
Type: Checklist Word count: 1000	Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO)	JCAHO One Renaissance Blvd. Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 Ph: (630) 792-5000	Copyrighted material: This copyright notice must be included in any reproduction, retransmission, or reprinting of this document: Copyright © 2000 Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, One Renaissance Blvd. Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181	Publicly available
14. (excerpt from) Take This Book to the Hospital With You by Charles B. Inlander (of the People’s Medical Society) and Ed Weiner Description: This book is the "ultimate consumer guide to surviving your hospital stay!" It includes tips and information on how to ensure a safe hospital stay.
Type: Checklist Word count: 320	People’s Medical Society (PMS)	People's Medical Society 462 Walnut Street Allentown, PA 18102 Phone (610) 770-1670 Fax (610) 770-0607 email	This excerpt is not available on the People’s Medical Society Web site. It was located on the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Web site as part of a series on Medical Mistakes.	Excerpt is publicly available: Click here. The url below is the Health Library Catalog page on the People’s Medical Society Website. Take This Book to the Hospital With You is available for order there. Click here.
15. AHA News Column: Prescriptions for Safety Description: News Column focused on patient safety and medical error. It highlights various efforts around the country to prevent error by implementing system wide change.
Type: Newsletter articles Word count per article: 650	American Hospital Association (AHA)	Donald Nielsen, MD Mary K. Mologne	Copyright © American Hospital Association. All rights reserved.	Publicly available
16. Surgery Volume Information About Individual Hospitals and Doctors Description: Volume reports for breast cancer, cardiac, colon cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and stomach cancer surgeries in three to five different states including California, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.
Type: Web site Word count: several Web pages	Health Care Choices	Susan Rosenfeld, President P.O. Box 21039 Columbus Circle Station New York, NY 10023 email		Publicly available
17. Choosing A Hospital (from Better Health Choices the Health Care Choices Newsletter) Description: A list of issues to consider when selecting a hospital, including patient safety.
Type: Newsletter article Word count: 460	Health Care Choices	Susan Rosenfeld, President P.O. Box 21039 Columbus Circle Station New York, NY 10023 email		Publicly available
18. To Err is Human: Awareness is Key to Patient Safety (GM LifeSteps article)
Type: Newsletter article Word count: 315	General Motors (GM) and Kaiser Foundation Health Plans	Pauline M. Nowak GM Health Plan Manager Kaiser Foundation Health Plans 300 Renaissance Dr. MC 482-C26-D36 Detroit, MI 48265	This document is may be shared. The checklist may be used by anyone, but the design and basic message is proprietary.	This document is currently not available on line. Hard copy only.
19. The Strength of General Motors. A Driving Force for Quality Health Care
Type: Brochure Word count: 600	General Motors (GM) and Kaiser Foundation Health Plans	Pauline M. Nowak GM Health Plan Manager Kaiser Foundation Health Plans 300 Renaissance Dr. MC 482-C26-D36 Detroit, MI 48265	The checklist may be used freely, but the design and basic message is proprietary.	This document is currently not available on line. Hard copy only.
20. GM Flex 2001. Flex Decision Guide for GM Salaried Employees Description: All salaried employees and retirees received this guide. A patient safety message was included.
Type: Booklet Word count: 30 pages (size 8.5" x 11")	General Motors (GM) and Kaiser Foundation Health Plans	Pauline M. Nowak GM Health Plan Manager Kaiser Foundation Health Plans 300 Renaissance Dr. MC 482-C26-D36 Detroit, MI 48265	This document may be shared.	This document is currently not available on line. Hard copy only.
21. Hospital Profile Consumer Guides Description: Online reports providing consumer information comparing the performance of area hospitals for 5 regions of the U.S: Atlanta, Buffalo, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Southern Michigan.
Type: Consumer guide Word count: 23 pages (size 8.5" x 11")	Sponsored by: Ford, GM, UAW, Daimler Chrysler, MESSA, Detroit Edison, Health Action Council, Michigan Public Schools Employees Retirement System Click here.	Diane Bechel, Dr.P.H. Room 509 One American Rd Dearborn, MI 48126 313-322-5130	Copyrighted materials may be used with citation: Hospital Profile Consumer Guides, Hospital Profiling Project Employer Consortium. All rights reserved.	Publicly available
22. Safer Medical Care for You and Your Family. GE healthcare Description: A brochure created for GE employees and retirees focused on safe health care. It describes how to choose a safe hospital and how to ensure safe health care throughout the year.
Type: Brochure Word count: 1400	General Electric (GE)	Francois de Brantes 3135 Easton Turnpike Fairfield, CT 06431 203-373-2352	This brochure may be used by others, but all references to GE must be removed.	Hard copy only.
23. Patient Safety article from The Aero Machinist - IAMAW 751 Description: Includes an update on the activities of the IAMAW's Joint Committee on Health Care, which works to increase health care quality and contain costs, and an interview with Arnie Milstein on health care quality and patient safety.
Type: Newsletter article/Interview Word Count: 1000	IAMAW 751	Steve Sleigh 9000 Machinists Place, Room 203 Upper Marlboro, MD 20772	This article may be reprinted by others	Hard copy only.


24. Largest Employer HMO Purchaser Signs Three-Year Contracts With Six HMOs; Adds Aetna US Healthcare Description - Press Release announcing new HMO contracts and that all GIC plans will be reporting inpatient safety information beginning in July 2001.
Type: Press Release Approximate Word Count: 3200	The Group Insurance Commission of Massachusetts	Cynthia McGrath Communications Director Group Insurance Commission PO Box 8747 Boston, MA 02114	Materials are unique to GIC and not applicable for use by others.
25. GIC Takes a Stand -- Advocates for Improved Patient Safety Description - This article reports that beginning in July 2001 all GIC health plans will begin reporting on the Leapfrog Standards.
Type: Newsletter article Word count: 3060	The Group Insurance Commission of Massachusetts	Cynthia McGrath Communications Director Group Insurance Commission PO Box 8747 Boston, MA 02114	Materials are unique to GIC and not applicable for use by others.
26. Four Patient Safety Tools for You to Try Description: Three tip sheets and one brochure that members can use with their employee populations: Merck's Tips to Reduce Your Chances of Having a Medication Error, QuIC's Five Steps to Safer Health Care, AHRQ's 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Error, and JCAHO's Using Medication Safely.
Tips to Reducing Your Chances of Having a Medication Error Five Steps to Safer Health Care Type: Tip Sheet Word count: 550 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Error Type: Tip Sheet Word count: 800 Using Medication Safely	Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH)	Jim Mortimer 8765 West Higgins Rd. Ste. 280 Chicago, IL 60631 Phone (773) 380-9090 Fax (773) 380-9096	Other frogs are free to use these.	Electronic files available. Click on the links below. Five Steps to Safer Health Care Click here. 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Error Click here. To obtain Tips to Reducing Your Chances of Having a Medication Error contact Marty Mazurek at Merck (630) 922-9371 or Click here. To obtain Using Medication Safely contact Jim Mortimer at MBGH or Gail Morgan Williams at JCAHO (630) 792-5763 or Click here.
27. Open Enrollment Messages Description: Messages on patient safety that can be customized for open enrollment materials
Type: Enrollment Messages	The Leapfrog Group, FACCT and KRC Research	Kat Song Phone (202) 292-6707 Fax (202) 292-6807	Public Domain.	Publicly available
28. The Leapfrog Group Enrollee Communications Toolkit 2004 Description: Toolkit and messages for use in raising awareness about patient safety and quality with enrollees
Type: Enrollment Messages	The Leapfrog Group, FACCT and KRC Research	Kat Song Phone (202) 292-6707 Fax (202) 292-6807	Public Domain.	Publicly available
29. Enrollee Communications T oolkit 2003 (12th grade reading level) Description: Messages for use in raising awareness about preventable medical mistakes
Type: Enrollment Messages (12th grade reading level)	The Leapfrog Group, FACCT and KRC Research	Kat Song Phone (202) 292-6707 Fax (202) 292-6807	Public Domain.	Publicly available
30. Enrollee Communications Toolkit First Edition (8th grade reading level) Description: Messages for use in raising awareness about preventable medical mistakes
Type: Enrollment Messages (8th grade reading level)	The Leapfrog Group, FACCT and KRC Research	Kat Song Phone (202) 292-6707 Fax (202) 292-6807	Public Domain.	Publicly available