Learn the Facts
When you get a preventive medical test, you're not just doing it for yourself. You're doing it for your family and loved ones:
- Men are 24 percent less likely than women to have visited a doctor within the past year and are 22 percent more likely to have neglected their cholesterol tests.
- Men are 28 percent more likely than women to be hospitalized for congestive heart failure.
- Men are 32 percent more likely than women to be hospitalized for long-term complications of diabetes and are more than twice as likely than women to have a leg or foot amputated due to complications related to diabetes.
- Men are 24 percent more likely than women to be hospitalized for pneumonia that could have been prevented by getting an immunization.
The single most important way you can take care of yourself and those you love is to actively take part in your health care. Educate yourself on health care and participate in decisions with your doctor. This site will help you get started.
Source: Healthcare Cost & Utilization Project and Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data.
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Questions are the Answer Advice on taking an active role in your health care |
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Be Prepared for Medical Appointments Help in building your question list |
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Five Steps
to Safer Health Care Fact sheet for getting safer health care |
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Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 
540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850 Telephone: (301) 427-1364
