The healthcare arena is often a confusing and mystifying place to navigate. Understanding your diagnosis and medication instructions can be a nightmare, however, help is on the way to encourage you to be a better informed healthcare consumer.

The Joint Commission has recently released its Speak Up™ education campaign aimed at encouraging patients to be effective partners by being engaged in and informed about their health care.

The Speak Up campaign urges patients to:

• Speak up if you have questions or concerns. If you still don’t understand, ask again. It’s your body and you have a right to know.
• Pay attention to the care you get. Always make sure you’re getting the right treatments and medications by the right healthcare professionals. Don’t assume anything.
• Educate yourself about your illness. Learn about the medical tests you get, and your treatment plan.
• Ask a trusted family member or friend to be your advocate (advisor or supporter).
• Know what medicines you take and why you take them. Medicine errors are the most common healthcare mistake.
• Use a hospital, clinic, surgery center, or other type of healthcare organization that has been carefully checked out.
• Participate in all decisions about your treatment. You are the center of the healthcare team.

The Speak Up brochures are available in an easy-to-read format and are also available in Spanish. Topics covered are available on:

* preventing infections
* preventing medication mistakes
* avoiding wrong site surgery
* recovering after leaving the hospital
* understanding medical tests
* understanding what your caregiver says
* preparing to become a living organ donor
* preventing errors in care

All brochures can be found at The Joint Commission Website.