Promoting Your Public Report: A Hands-on Guide

Note: Customize the text in brackets to fit your public report and local situation. Special thanks to the Puget Sound Health Alliance for the original content upon which this example is based. This template uses Associated Press style, since that is what most media organizations use.

[INSERT COLLABORATIVE LOGO]

Media Contact

[name of media contact]
[phone number]
[Email address]

[Public Report Name]: We Need to "Get the Basics Right"

Public report finds clinics, hospitals—everyone—has room to improve local health care quality

[CITY NAME], [Date]—Doctors agree that people with heart disease and those with diabetes should be checked for dangerous cholesterol levels. Yet the new report from the [Collaborative name] shows that many of these patients in [community name] don't get cholesterol tests and other basic services.

The report concludes that everyone has a role in helping to make sure that patients, especially those with chronic conditions, get the basic care that doctors agree is most effective. "Too many people are not getting needed basic care, even if they have insurance. This is a problem for patients, doctors, hospitals, insurers and employers who buy health benefits. Working together, we can fix this problem," said [local physician leader].

Release of the [report] has been widely anticipated locally and nationally. The non-profit [Collaborative name] includes more than ## organizations and ... [insert more on your Collaborative].

"This first report includes results for [describe number of locations or organizations]. We applaud the [doctors / clinics / hospitals] as leaders in quality improvement. Their participation has been vital to developing the most comprehensive report of its kind for this region," said [Collaborative executive director]. For a list of the participating organizations, go to [link to Collborative Web site to this list].

"Many community leaders, doctors and others have been involved in creating this report. The result is a report we trust and will use to improve health care quality," said [prominent physician or health leader].

- more -

[Collaborative name] Releases Report Comparing Local Health Care, Page Two

The report looks at [##] types of care provided to patients, in the areas of [list categories of measures here]. It is based on data from [list sources]. The data reflects care provided to about [##] percent of the population in this region, between [date] and [date]. The data used to create the report does not include patients' personally identifiable information, such as name or birthdate.

[Include a quote from community leader such as Governor, consumer group, or business CEO]

The first report creates a baseline about local health care and it shows that everyone has room to improve. In this region, for example: [draw specific examples from results in your public report].

• About [XX%] of patients with [condition] did not get [care or test] at least once during the year.
• Only about [xx%] of patients ....
• On the upside, more than [XX%] of patients ....

[Collaborative name] leaders stressed that everyone has a role in making improvements, as decisions by many people can influence a given result in the [name of report]. For example:

• Doctors and other health professionals can learn from each other and make sure that they provide health care that is proven to work for patients.
• Insurers and clinic leaders can share ideas on how to make, and support, quality improvement.
• Employers can ensure that benefits they purchase cover the basics of effective health care.
• Patients can talk with their doctors about what they need to do to stay healthy.

[Briefly describe the source of report results and/or data, with a link to detailed technical information.]

[Collaborative name] officials said they expect to release the next report in [date]. Future reports will include [describe to show that your reports will evolve and improve over time]. "Knowing how well we are doing now is essential for doing better in the future. And with each additional report, we will be better able to identify trends and improve health care quality in our region," said [Collaborative leader].

The non-profit [Collaborative name] is made up of those who provide, pay for and use health care, working together to improve quality of care at a price more people can afford. See [collaborative Web site link] and [public report Web site link].

# # #

Return to Contents