Who Can Benefit From A Healthcare Advocate?
Healthcare advocates are professionals who speak on behalf of patients. They help communicate with doctors, make sure patients' needs are heard and attended to, and support patients as they seek care from various practitioners. Not everyone needs a healthcare advocate, but there are some patients, in particular, who greatly benefit from having one of these professionals in their corner. Here are four types of patients who should strongly consider hiring a healthcare advocate.
Patients With Cancer
Cancer is horrible, and patients suffering from cancer often need to see an array of specialists for diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care. Explaining yourself, again and again, to a variety of doctors can be really difficult when you're feeling so poorly. A healthcare advocate can be a lifesaver in this situation. They can help make sure your various specialists are communicating with one another. They can speak up for you if contradictory information is ever given, and they can support you if you need to ask for additional pain relief or other supportive therapy.
Patients With Complex Diagnoses
Do you have several different diagnoses that require you to see a variety of specialists? Perhaps, for instance, you see a neurologist for Parkinson's disease, a rheumatologist for lupus, and a podiatrist for bunions. The ways that these diagnoses impact one another can interfere with the meds doctors prescribe. It can also make it hard to relay your needs related to one ailment to a doctor who is managing a different ailment. A healthcare advocate can help keep things straight, make sure all of your doctors have all the relevant info, and also listen in for you at appointments to make sure you don't miss any valuable information or advice.
Parents of Sick Children
Navigating the medical space with a sick child is a very challenging experience. Of course, you are worried about your child's health, but you also have all of the other obligations of parenting to worry about. You don't want to spend all day calling doctors and asking them to repeat advice or review a prescription for you. A healthcare advocate can do a lot of this running around for you. They can also speak up on behalf of you and your child to ensure your needs are all being met.
If you find yourself in any of the situations above, don't hesitate to contact a company that employs healthcare advocates. Having one in your corner can be paramount when you're struggling.
For more info, contact a local company like America's Healthcare Advocate.