Patient Advocacy
A Patient Advocate acts as a liaison between patient and Healthcare Provider. The Patient Advocate is a vital instrument to both patient and physician in the optimal delivery of healthcare.
The Patient Advocate may be present for healthcare appointments and alert the Healthcare Provider to Patient compliance issues and separately assist the Healthcare Provider and support staff with potential issues and communication improvements. The Patient Advocate will maintain communication with the
Patient and Healthcare Provider to help ensure patient understanding of procedures, thereby reducing fear and increasing patient compliance, resulting in a higher percentage of successful treatment.
The Patient Advocate often assists with family communication and issues arising from illness and injury. This may include further referral for care and support for both patients and families, which includes ongoing communication and coordination with all practitioners according to each practitioner's preferred protocol. The Patient Advocate has a responsibility to keep a keen awareness for contiguity of care, with initial oversight for potentially conflicting treatment modalities and medications, which should be promptly discussed with Patient and Primary Care Provider and all treatments entered into the healthcare record, which should be provided to the patient on an annual basis or more often if the treatment is intensive, prolonged or with several healthcare providers. Creation and maintenance of an electronic log for Patient and available by disc to Practitioners is highly desirable as it may be of great benefit in any urgent situation.
The Patient Advocate will assist with insurance and household accounting management as well as any home health care and home maintenance issues that may arise for an ill or disabled person. In the case of employment issues, the Patient Advocate may engage in communication with the employer to negotiate a mutually beneficial solution for the employer and the ill or injured individual. In the case where compliance standards are not met on either the patient side or in healthcare delivery or by employer/partner/corporation, the Patient Advocate may be in the position of liaising with corporate oversight, government agencies or legal personnel to further negotiate such 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. As well, Healthcare Provider communications are treated as highly confidential and priveleged, whether or not those communications are specific to the patient. In all cases, permission to disclose information should be negotiated carefully. It is the duty of the Patient Advocate to follow any referrals for medical, financial, legal, administrative or other personnel to assure that the patient is always kept safe and well informed, never abandoned or mislead during the process.
The Patient Advocate may provide medical literature research service to the patient, family, healthcare provider or research personnel as requested. Further, the Patient Advocate may sit on scientific panels to ensure that ongoing projects and those being considered for funding will directly impact patients' lives, improving delivery of care and support for tertiary care. The Patient Advocate may also sit on finance boards to analyze cost containment and act as a proponent for best practices, advocating better protection for Provider and Patient so that the greater good of society will prevail over the insurance industry. This includes SEC ruling advocacy so that investors will continue to support such progressive change. It is incumbent upon the Patient Advocate to be actively engaged in self education on the general business of medicine, HMO rules and local institutional changes to compliance articulation and implementation, as well as following relevant legislative changes. Patient Advocates are needed to lobby for a healthcare system that is realistic for patients and practitioners, not merely beneficial to corporations.
Advocates of all levels of expertise are needed to lobby for increased funding of research and patient support, such as with cancer, including survivorship and support programs, complementary care (both allopathic and homeopathic) including medication, meditation, yoga, acupuncture, etc.
Patient advocacy refers to elocution and advocacy at every level for all patients and families; from letter writing to media and government as a concerned citizen or lobbyist, to forum and panel facilitation and support, to assisting patient and family in daily activities and healthcare procedures, to speaking on a patient's behalf in order to further their treatment progress, or to protect their rights and help them learn how to obtain information and services. The role of PatientAdvocate is frequently assumed by nurses, social workers, and other healthcare providers. Some hospitals, health insurance companies, and other healthcare organizations employ people specifically to assume this role.
However, there has been some research into this with concern regarding cognitive bias due to narrow aspect job scope and employer directives.
A Patient Advocate is generally knowledgeable in healthcare industry practices and medical-legal compliance, but need not be in the healthcare profession and may simply be a concerned citizen, supportive neighbor, friend or family to listen, take notes and help the patient communicate, understand, remember and cope with an often confusing and fearful process.
Please visit the Patient Advocate Foundation at Patient Advocate Foundation,
National Patient Advocate Foundation, National Patient Advocate Foundation - A National Network For Healthcare Reform, est.1996 ,
National Breast Cancer Coalition Home*-*National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund or search on a specific disease and add the term 'patient advocate' to your search. You may also find specific firms or individuals in your area to assist you. Yahoo Local search works well for this purpose.
My dad has been in and out of the hospital recently and I have sort of been forced into the role of Patient Advocate. What the heck happend to first do no harm?
I thought that was the motto for every physician.
Jason_Els recent troubles with hospital staff just reminded me of how important patient advocacy is. He is fortunate in that he can fend for himself. Quite often the elderly and small children cannot. It's a shame such a role is necessary. With the sorry state of American health care it is mandatory to have someone knowledgeable who cares, who can fight for you.
A Patient Advocate acts as a liaison between patient and Healthcare Provider. The Patient Advocate is a vital instrument to both patient and physician in the optimal delivery of healthcare.
The Patient Advocate may be present for healthcare appointments and alert the Healthcare Provider to Patient compliance issues and separately assist the Healthcare Provider and support staff with potential issues and communication improvements. The Patient Advocate will maintain communication with the
Patient and Healthcare Provider to help ensure patient understanding of procedures, thereby reducing fear and increasing patient compliance, resulting in a higher percentage of successful treatment.
The Patient Advocate often assists with family communication and issues arising from illness and injury. This may include further referral for care and support for both patients and families, which includes ongoing communication and coordination with all practitioners according to each practitioner's preferred protocol. The Patient Advocate has a responsibility to keep a keen awareness for contiguity of care, with initial oversight for potentially conflicting treatment modalities and medications, which should be promptly discussed with Patient and Primary Care Provider and all treatments entered into the healthcare record, which should be provided to the patient on an annual basis or more often if the treatment is intensive, prolonged or with several healthcare providers. Creation and maintenance of an electronic log for Patient and available by disc to Practitioners is highly desirable as it may be of great benefit in any urgent situation.
The Patient Advocate will assist with insurance and household accounting management as well as any home health care and home maintenance issues that may arise for an ill or disabled person. In the case of employment issues, the Patient Advocate may engage in communication with the employer to negotiate a mutually beneficial solution for the employer and the ill or injured individual. In the case where compliance standards are not met on either the patient side or in healthcare delivery or by employer/partner/corporation, the Patient Advocate may be in the position of liaising with corporate oversight, government agencies or legal personnel to further negotiate such 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. As well, Healthcare Provider communications are treated as highly confidential and priveleged, whether or not those communications are specific to the patient. In all cases, permission to disclose information should be negotiated carefully. It is the duty of the Patient Advocate to follow any referrals for medical, financial, legal, administrative or other personnel to assure that the patient is always kept safe and well informed, never abandoned or mislead during the process.
The Patient Advocate may provide medical literature research service to the patient, family, healthcare provider or research personnel as requested. Further, the Patient Advocate may sit on scientific panels to ensure that ongoing projects and those being considered for funding will directly impact patients' lives, improving delivery of care and support for tertiary care. The Patient Advocate may also sit on finance boards to analyze cost containment and act as a proponent for best practices, advocating better protection for Provider and Patient so that the greater good of society will prevail over the insurance industry. This includes SEC ruling advocacy so that investors will continue to support such progressive change. It is incumbent upon the Patient Advocate to be actively engaged in self education on the general business of medicine, HMO rules and local institutional changes to compliance articulation and implementation, as well as following relevant legislative changes. Patient Advocates are needed to lobby for a healthcare system that is realistic for patients and practitioners, not merely beneficial to corporations.
Advocates of all levels of expertise are needed to lobby for increased funding of research and patient support, such as with cancer, including survivorship and support programs, complementary care (both allopathic and homeopathic) including medication, meditation, yoga, acupuncture, etc.
Patient advocacy refers to elocution and advocacy at every level for all patients and families; from letter writing to media and government as a concerned citizen or lobbyist, to forum and panel facilitation and support, to assisting patient and family in daily activities and healthcare procedures, to speaking on a patient's behalf in order to further their treatment progress, or to protect their rights and help them learn how to obtain information and services. The role of PatientAdvocate is frequently assumed by nurses, social workers, and other healthcare providers. Some hospitals, health insurance companies, and other healthcare organizations employ people specifically to assume this role.
However, there has been some research into this with concern regarding cognitive bias due to narrow aspect job scope and employer directives.
A Patient Advocate is generally knowledgeable in healthcare industry practices and medical-legal compliance, but need not be in the healthcare profession and may simply be a concerned citizen, supportive neighbor, friend or family to listen, take notes and help the patient communicate, understand, remember and cope with an often confusing and fearful process.
Please visit the Patient Advocate Foundation at Patient Advocate Foundation,
National Patient Advocate Foundation, National Patient Advocate Foundation - A National Network For Healthcare Reform, est.1996 ,
National Breast Cancer Coalition Home*-*National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund or search on a specific disease and add the term 'patient advocate' to your search. You may also find specific firms or individuals in your area to assist you. Yahoo Local search works well for this purpose.
My dad has been in and out of the hospital recently and I have sort of been forced into the role of Patient Advocate. What the heck happend to first do no harm?
I thought that was the motto for every physician. Jason_Els recent troubles with hospital staff just reminded me of how important patient advocacy is. He is fortunate in that he can fend for himself. Quite often the elderly and small children cannot. It's a shame such a role is necessary. With the sorry state of American health care it is mandatory to have someone knowledgeable who cares, who can fight for you.
