patient advocate?

[an-art-worker.livejournal.com]

This may not be quite appropriate to ask here but I am putting out feelers wherever - so don't snark me!

I have a serious family medical situation developing (elderly parent, etc. etc) and am trying to find out if there is a role player person such as "patient advocate" or doctor-patient liaison or patient therapist for medical issues. The gist being that the med stuff is hard to navigate/translate into simpler terms, and the various options are also hard to ferret out/decide between.

Does such a profession exist: someone who is medically informed and is capable of talking to both Drs + patients?

Comments

[slinkr.livejournal.com]

The Boston Globe did a pretty good article on patient advocates a while back, it should be available in their archives. Good luck dealing with your medical situation, I hope everything goes smoothly.

[klauspood.livejournal.com]

I had a similar situation and spoke with a social worker from Cambridge Somerville Elder Care. www.eldercare.org

They were very helpful, I suggest you contact them.

I have also heard that Cambridge Health Alliance has a program for older people which specializes in continuity of care.

[dylanesque29.livejournal.com]

That's really vague.....is this doctor based in a hospital or clinic? Most hospitals SHOULD have patient advocacy departments.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Is there an insurance provider involved? that might not be a terrible place to start.

[fantastic-salad.livejournal.com]

sorry, but the actor with the most blatant profit motive is undoubtedly the worst place to start.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

I work for a non-profit HMO, so perhaps my perspective is a little different.

[sylphae-minuo.livejournal.com]

Yes, both the role of patient advocate and a liaison both exist. You have every right to ask your provider about them, if you/ or your family member feels it is needed.

I am not sure of the situation you are handling, and I respect your need for privacy. If your situation is in a hospital, they should have a advocate, most have an ethics committee as well. I hope the links below are helpful to you.

www.eldercare.org


http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2006/05/01/for_when_a_doctor_and_a_nurse_just_arent_enough/

http://www.massgeneral.org/visitor/advocacy.htm

thanks

[an-art-worker.livejournal.com]

thanks for all the comments. I've been following up the links and also searching through other elder care stuff.

Fortunately I've never had to deal with any of this sort of thing before. Unfortunately I have to now and there seem like so many logistical and other things to get up to speed quickly on.

[madscientist01.livejournal.com]

Just wanted to chime in with a "yes, this does exist." At work, we have a health advocate service that comes along with our health insurance. (http://www.healthadvocate.com/) It was really helpful while I was trying to work out issues with insurance. However, I don't know if a system like this is too expensive to get as an individual -- there are probably nonprofits out there that do the same thing.

"Our highly-trained Personal Health Advocates, typically registered nurses, are backed by a staff of medical directors and administrative experts. When you call for assistance, you will be assigned a Personal Health Advocate who will take responsibility for helping you...Simply put, we help to make sure that you get the most from your health care experience. We are objective and independent."