Choose a Health Care Advocate
With the increase of cost and complexity of medical care, comes the increased need to be vigilant in ensuring that our health care needs are being met. Many of us, for a variety of reasons, need or want someone to assist us in our dealings with doctors, nurses, hospitals, dentists, and other health care professionals. A health care advocate can serve that very important need, by acting as a conduit between you and the health care system, and by advocating on your behalf. This article is written in order to assist you in choosing the best health care advocate for your situation.
Instructions
1. First, it is important to understand what a health care advocate is and isn't. An advocate is a person who speaks or writes in support of another person or cause. From a healthcare perspective this would be someone who has your best interests in mind when it comes to getting the best medical or dental care possible for you, and who ensures that you are fully informed of information concerning your health, options for your health care, side effects and risks of chosen treatments, and alternatives. Likewise, they can also assist you with understanding and handling any billing issues you may have. What they cannot do, is make your decisions for you. As long as you have the capacity to make your own decisions, you must make them yourself.
2. There are a couple of different routes you can take when choosing the right health care advocate for you. The first is that you can use a professional for hire health care advocate. This is an option you would exercise if you did not have any close family or friends that qualify to help you. There are actually companies that provide this service and you can find them through referral from community resources, hospice, or online. Some things to consider when choosing a professional health care advocate are:
* Are they willing to spend the time it takes to understand your condition and your concerns?
* Do they seem genuinely interested in your well-being?
* What are their hours of availability?
* Do they have special professional qualifications or licenses?
* Can they give you names of people who would refer them?
* What are their fees and how do they calculate them?
3. Most often though, people will want to chose a health care advocate that they know and feel comfortable with, usually a family member or a friend. Some issues to consider when deciding on the right person are:
* Are they a good listener?
* Are they a good communicator?
* Do you trust them fully with your most private information?
* Are they good at being objective and calm in difficult situations?
* Are they willing and able to learn, in detail, about your disease or condition?
* Will they be able to understand medical jargon and instructions?
* Do they have a backbone? Meaning, can they stand up for you and your rights and concerns in the face of resistance?
* Are they willing and able to be available when you need them?
4. Because of consumer advocacy on the part of patients rights in participating in their health care decisions, most medical facilities have their own Patients' Bill of Rights. One of those rights is to have a personal representative to assist you. That would be your health care advocate. It is important, however, that you designate that person as your representative on your medical paperwork. Otherwise, your health care advocate may not be able to access information or work on your behalf.
Tags: health care, health care advocate, health care, care advocate, care advocate