Campaign encourages Hispanics to work with their doctors to make the best treatment decisions

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is partnering with Hispanic-serving organizations to promote the Agency's Spanish-language resources and to encourage consumers to become more active partners in their health care.

To assist in this effort, AHRQ is launching the "Toma las riendas" ("Take the reins") campaign, a nationwide effort to encourage Hispanics to take control of their health and explore treatment options.

The Toma las riendas campaign addresses the need for high-quality health information in Spanish. It promotes a wide variety of resources produced by AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program.  These tools, which include consumer-friendly publications that summarize treatment options for common health conditions, help Hispanics work with their health care teams to select the best possible treatment option.  he tools do not tell patients and doctors what to do but offer factual, unbiased information to help answer questions such as: What are the benefits and risks of different medical treatment? How strong is the science behind each option? Which treatment is most likely to work best for me?  

Hispanics are often more likely than whites to experience poor health outcomes, and are also less likely to take prescription medications to control asthma.  For many Hispanics, seeking treatment means using a new language to navigate a complex health care system.  AHRQ's Spanish-language publications provide opportunities for Hispanics to easily compare treatments for many common conditions.

To encourage use of the materials and engage Hispanics in the discussion, AHRQ has also launched a Facebook Page, http://www.facebook.com/AHRQehc.espanol.  AHRQ's Spanish-language patient guides are available online at http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/informacion-en-espanol/.

For other AHRQ Spanish-language consumer tools, go to http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/espanoix.htm.

Source: Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, New AHRQ Campaign Encourages Hispanics To Work With Their Doctors To Make the Best Treatment Decisions, November 10, 2011.