Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
 An agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, dedicated to promoting "health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability." Consumers will find resources about diseases, conditions, and other topics arranged under "Health Topics A-Z".
Phone: 1-800-311-3435

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
 Federal agency responsible for administering the Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments), and several other health-related programs.
Phone: 1-866-226-1819

Consumers Advancing Patient Safety (CAPS)
 Consumer led patient-centered resource dedicated to improving safety by promoting partnerships between patients and health care providers.
Phone: 1-312-274-1301

Health Care for All Consumer Health Quality Council
 Health Care For All's health care quality initiative works to bring a consumer voice to policy discussions and legislative debates regarding quality, patient safety, and medical errors. Members of the Consumer Health Quality Council lend a powerful consumer voice to the debate around quality of care. They set a consumer health quality agenda that fuels legislative and advocacy priorities. They share the stories of their healthcare experiences in order to draw attention to quality of care issues. Members learn about quality issues and are trained to become effective advocates and spokespersons. They educate and activate others. They meet with legislators, policymakers, healthcare providers, employers, insurers, and the media to give a consumer perspective to quality concerns.


 This tool provides information on how well the hospitals in your area care for all their adult patients with certain medical conditions.
Phone: 1-877-696-6775

Institute for Family Centered Care
The Institute for Family-Centered Care advances the understanding and practice of patient- and family-centered care. In partnership with patients, families, and health care professionals, the Institute seeks to integrate these concepts into all aspects of health care. The Institute accomplishes its mission through education, consultation, and technical assistance; materials development and information dissemination; research; and strategic partnerships.

Medically Induced Trauma Support Services (MITSS)
 Provides assistance to patients, families and medical personnel who have been affected by medically induced trauma.
Phone: 1-888-36-MITSS

MEDWATCH - U.S. Food & Drug Administration's Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program
 Provides safety information about drugs and other medical products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Supplies links for reporting adverse events for both consumers and health care professionals.
Phone: 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)


This site offers easy-to-use, up-to-date, accurate information about the quality and cost of health care in Massachusetts. You can use this website to find cost and quality ratings for hospitals across the state. You can also search these ratings by location, hospital or procedure. Information comes from state and federal databases as well as other independent and trusted sources.

National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
 Provides information related to the quality of the nation's managed care plans. Information from this site will help you decidewhich health plan you want to cover you, your family, or your employees.
Phone: 1-888-275-7585

National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE)
 Committed to safe medication use by promoting better communication. Provides general information regarding prescription, over the counter medications and herbal supplements.
Phone: 1-301-656-8596

Partnership for Healthcare Excellence
A unique consumer focused organization that seeks to empower patients and their caregivers to play a greater role in improving the quality of their care. The Partnership seeks to: educate the public about the variations in health care quality; provide consumers with the information and tools they need to improve the quality of their own care; and encourage consumers to become advocates for the overall change necessary to improve the safety and effectiveness of the health care system.

Put It In Writing.org
 American Hospital Association resource which provides basic facts about advance directives and encourages patients to explore their choices for end of life care. An advance directive is a legal document that helps ensure that your health care preferences will be followed if you are sick and unable to communicate.

Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy
 Supports the role of professionals who represent and advocate for consumers. Serves a resource for consumers on issues such as patients' rights, and education.
Phone: 1-312-422-3851

The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF)
 Dedicated to improving patient safety and reducing medical errors by funding research and raising awareness with hospitals, health care systems, doctors, nurses, and their patients.
Phone: 1-413-663-8900

The Leapfrog Group
 Comprised of private and public purchasers of health care benefits. Hospitals voluntarily submit information related to quality and patient safety efforts. This information is available to consumers to assist in making informed decisions about where to receive hospital care.
Phone: 1-202-292-6713

U. S. Pharmacopeia
 Sets the standards for all prescription, over the counter, and dietary supplements manufactured and sold in the United States. Maintains medication error reporting systems for submissions by hospitals, health systems and individual providers.
Phone: 1-800-227-8772

This information is provided by the Betsy Lehman for Patient Safety and Medical Error Reduction within the Department of Public Health.