As healthcare evolves, doctor’s visits have only gotten more complicated. When was the last time you managed to finish an appointment without receiving a litany of things to remember: don’t eat this food; do eat this food; exercise more; take this medication at morning, noon, but not night: take this unpronounceable medication as needed, but this similarly spelled medicine can only be administered once per day. To make matters worse, you’re already under a lot of stress due to the health concern that brought you there today. At a certain point it becomes impossible to remember everything you are supposed to do to take care of your own health.
But what if you didn’t have to? What if you had someone who was there with you every step of the way to take notes, or bring up concerns you may have forgotten or just don’t feel comfortable voicing on your own? What if you had a patient advocate?
A patient advocate can be anyone you can trust. You can ask a family member or loved one to be your advocate or you can hire a professional patient advocate to stand by your side. Either way, your patient advocate will be with you for every step of treatment, making sure that you get the best care available. With a patient advocate by your side, you no longer need to divide your attention between your recovery and your care.
Your patient advocate will accompany you to all your appointments and take notes on what the doctor says. They’ll help you understand just what your doctor is talking about, and what you need to do to recover. Additionally, your patient advocate will speak up about any concerns you may have. Your patient advocate is your best ally and confidant in the doctor’s office.
A patient advocate can do all of this and more: help you select the best treatment option or facility for your care; help you untangle and understand your health insurance benefits and coverage; help create a safe discharge from the hospital, help you with decisions for yourself or a loved one.
If you do not have someone in mind to be your patient advocate, or simply have more questions, contact Care Answered and we will gladly help you through the process, at every step of the way.