Patient care advocates support patients and their families in a variety of ways.
Patient care advocates arrange for and monitor patients' health care services and help to obtain services to meet their and their families' emotional, psychosocial needs. They also help to find ways to pay for health care expenses. Patient care advocates work in and outside of hospitals, doctor's offices and other care facilities. Many are nurses or physicians but they can be social workers or family members. Professional advocates receive specific training and certification.
Medical
Patient care advocates who have medical backgrounds (not all do) perform, "patient diagnosis, medical diagnosis review and research, evaluation of care needs, medical case management and geriatric care management," the Reading, Pennsylvania-based Patient Care Advocates website explains. They act as liaisons between the patients' physicians and between physicians, patients and families. They also arrange for rehab services and help to find conveniently located specialized medical facilities for patients who need multiple treatment visits, the Western Journal of Medicine explains. And, they find medical providers who provide services through the patient's insurance plans.
Long-Term and Other Types of Care
Patient care advocates help determine the need for and sources of end-of-life (hospice) and home health care or nursing homes and assisted living facilities that suit the patient and are conveniently located.
Emotional/Psychological
Family members and friends who have no medical or specialized training serve as informal but vital advocates by providing emotional support and assistance to those they love. Professional patient care advocates connect patients and families with psychiatrists or psychologists who can help them cope with the stresses of severe illness or injuries They provide this type of support directly to those affected as well, the Health Care Professional website says. This source suggests that advocates consider establishing support groups for patients and families who are having trouble coping, which could be conducted in person or online.
Financial
Professional advocates help patients fill insurance claims and to navigate the often complex landscape of managed care (Medicare, Medicaid, HMOs, etc.). They assist with paperwork, communicate with insurers and make sure that physicians and medical facilities receive timely payment for their services. They also help to identify legal assistance, if necessary, to press for the necessary amount of financial support for the patient's treatment. They may serve as patient liaisons to employers to lobby for job retention, the Patient Advocate Foundation points out.
Logistical
Patient advocates arrange for transportation to and from treatment locations. The advocates can help plan patients' hospital discharge dates to ensure that the transition to home or to a long-term care facility goes smoothly. They also help devise systems to ensure the patient or family can track and get to doctors' appointments and for taking medications on schedule. They can also serve as personal assistants or home health care aids by picking up prescriptions and groceries, making meals, and taking measures to ensure the patient can move and live safely at home during recovery, the For Your Peace of Mind website explains.
Tags: They also, advocates help, also help, care advocates, care advocates, health care