A good patient advocate can help a family member(s) learn how to make sure their loved one get the kind of care they deserve by supplying advocacy training or implementing the advocacy themselves. A Patient Advocate will have a wealth of knowledge and resources to help evaluate a patient needs. In many cases they will give the patient and there loved ones a much better assurance that they will be getting good medical care. And with this assurance there should be a greater peace of mind with the knowledge that loved ones are getting good medical care. Many time the Patient Advocate can be the voice of the patient and family by relaying important information to health care professionals and care givers, such as the patients advance directives.
The role of a patient advocate will vary depending on the individual patient and families needs. The Patient Advocate can be present for health care appointments and meetings and may alert the health care providers of medical concerns such as patient compliance issues and help assist with communication between all concerned parties. The Patient Advocate will maintain communication with the patient, appropriate family members and health care providers to help insure the quality of care. They will help the patient and family members understand about the care and procedures being implemented. With more communication, greater understanding and reduced fear there may be increased patient compliance and care, resulting in a higher percentage of successful treatments and better health.
The Patient Advocate may provide medical literature to the patient, family members or health care providers if requested. The Patient Advocate may also assist with family and professional communications about the patients illness, injury and care. Suggestions about further referral for care and support for both patients and families may be discussed. There may also be ongoing communication and coordination between practitioners, patient and family members about specific care instructions and protocols.
The Patient Advocate has a responsibility to question the appropriateness and coordination of care for and individual patient, and can have good oversight for potentially conflicting treatment modalities and medications. Questions about the appropriateness of treatment may be discussed if there are questions or concerns about care with the various care providers, patient, patients family members or vendors. The Patient Advocate may have the right to review documentation by the various primary care providers about communications and treatments entered into the health care record. A Patient Advocate may also be instrumental in creating and maintaining a medical data base for the patient and there family. This data base may include a medical history, medications, and list of care providers which could be of great benefit with planning the patients care and in cases of medical emergencies.
The Patient Advocate can also assist with issues about insurance, help fill prescriptions, file claims, arrange transportation to doctors appointments, help with household accounting management, home maintenance and home health care issues. If appropriate they may engage in communication with an employer and other non medical professionals to address the needs or wishes of the patient and or family members. A Patient Advocate can be instrumental in helping resolve issues between the patient and there employer or other professionals and can act as a Ombudsman/representative for the patient and or family in cases where compliance standards are not met by either the patient, family, health care professionals, or other professionals. They may also be in the position of helping with communication or liaising with various professional, legal, corporate or governmental agencies and negotiate issues on behalf of the Patient and family.
It is the duty of a Patient Advocate to maintain patient privacy according to local and national laws, treating all patient and family information as privileged and protected. Communications with health care providers are treated as highly confidential and privileged, whether or not those communications are specific to the patient. In all cases, permission to disclose information should be negotiated carefully. It may be the duty of the Patient Advocate to follow any referrals for medical, financial, legal, administrative or other personnel to help assure the patient is kept safe and well informed and never abandoned or mislead during the process.
With the vast needs of the elderly, changes within the medical care delivery system, and fraud, the Patient Advocate will remain a necessary and integral part of our society.
For more information send me a note about Honolulu Patient Advocates
For more information send me a note about Honolulu Patient Advocates
