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Address Concerns About Your Care
Unexpected outcomes can happen in health care for many reasons. Sometimes a treatment works as intended but still causes side effects or complications. Other times, problems happen because something did not go as planned.
Talking with your healthcare provider can help you better understand what happened and whether a concern may be related to an error or a breakdown in care. Asking questions and sharing your experience is often an important first step toward clarity, resolution, and learning.
Sharing concerns can help resolve issues and improve care for you and others.
Talking with your healthcare provider is often the first step in addressing concerns about your care.
- You have the right to ask questions and share concerns about your care.
- Speaking up should not affect your access to care.
- It can help to write down your concerns and questions ahead of time.
- You may choose to involve a family member, caregiver, or advocate.
Raising concerns helps improve safety and supports better care for patients across Illinois.
- Share what you noticed or what worries you, using your own words.
- Be clear about what you are concerned about and how it affects you.
- Ask questions if something is unclear or does not match what you were told.
- Take notes or bring a trusted family member or caregiver for support.
- Ask what steps can be taken to address the concern and what to expect next.
You can report a patient safety concern if you believe an event, mistake, or unsafe condition may have caused harm or could put patients at risk.
Reporting helps identify patterns and prevent similar problems in the future. It is not about blame. It is about learning and improving safety.
- Something unexpected happened during care
- Instructions were unclear or conflicting
- A medication, test, or treatment did not seem right
- A safety issue was not addressed when you raised it
Reports can be made by patients, family members, or caregivers. Information is reviewed to support learning and prevention across Illinois.
You can find information on how to file a complaint with the IDPH Central Complaint Registry on the IDPH website.
Many healthcare organizations also have staff whose role is to listen to patient and family concerns and help address them. These individuals may be called Patient Relations, Patient Advocacy, or a similar title. Their contact information is often listed on the organizationʼs website or in materials you received during your care. You can also call the organizationʼs main phone number and ask how to reach someone who helps patients with concerns or complaints.
Raising concerns helps healthcare organizations learn, improve care, and prevent similar problems from happening to others.
