Promoting Your Public Report: A Hands-on Guide

Note: Customize this template newsletter article, particularly the text in brackets, to fit your public report and local situation. Provide the revised version to community group stakeholders so that they can adapt, finalize and use it on their Web site or newsletter to their members. Some will prefer a shorter article.

Word Count: ~420 words

[Public Report Name]: Now You Can Compare Local Clinics and Hospitals

When you make health care decisions, such as knowing what kind of care is best for you, where do you get information? Some check our Web site for information, some talk with their doctor, many ask friends and family, and others cross their fingers and guess.

To help you get and stay as healthy as possible, we are pleased to announce that starting [DATE of report release], everyone in [community name] can look up comparisons of local [clinics / hospitals] to see who is doing a better job and to make more informed health decisions.

The report is called [public report name—hyperlink to online report]. It is published by the nonprofit [Collaborative name], supported by [community group name], along with many others in the community.

You and your family deserve care that is safe and effective—health care that cures what ails you or helps you stay as healthy as possible. Yet we all know that quality isn't the same in every clinic or hospital across the country and even here in [community name].

The report shows that everyone has room to improve. For example, the [public report name] shows that, while doctors agree that people with diabetes should be checked for dangerous cholesterol levels, [# out of # (about ##%)] patients on average in this region don't get their cholesterol tested at least yearly. This is basic but important: without this test, there is no way to know if the patient's cholesterol is under control.

How do we fix these gaps in care? Your doctor has a role and so do you. What can you do? Take a look at the [public report name] and use it when you make your health care decisions. Talk with your doctor about staying as healthy as possible, and follow your doctor's advice.

Your employer and your health plan or insurer also have a role: Do they support the [Collaborative name] and ensure that your benefits cover the services recommended in the report? If you aren't sure, show them the [public report name] and ask.

The next [public report name] is expected to include [describe to show that your reports will evolve and improve over time]. The [public report name] can be found online at [Report URL]. It is also linked to the [community group name] Web site at [http:// community group website address]. To find out more about the nonprofit [Collaborative name], go to [Collaborative URL].

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