1 / 15

EVERYBODY NEEDS A PATIENT ADVOCATE!

EVERYBODY NEEDS A PATIENT ADVOCATE!. Purpose: To explore how becoming smart patients ourselves and learning effective ways to communicate with doctors help us assist patients in achieving better health care. PRESENTERS. Donna Ambrogi, JD Public interest attorney & instructor in elder law

becca
Download Presentation

EVERYBODY NEEDS A PATIENT ADVOCATE!

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. EVERYBODY NEEDS A PATIENT ADVOCATE! Purpose: To explore how becoming smart patients ourselves and learning effective ways to communicate with doctors help us assist patients in achieving better health care.

  2. PRESENTERS • Donna Ambrogi, JD Public interest attorney & instructor in elder law Resident representative on Board of Directors of Aging Services of California • Linda Vogel, Ph.D. Graduate Specialization in Gerontology Professor Emerita & Senior Scholar at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary PILGRIM PLACE RESOURCES Claremont, CA 91711 Linda.Vogel@garrett.edudlambrogi@verizon.net

  3. SMART PATIENTS • Prepare a list of concerns & questions. • Have lab test results, list of medications & medical history to give to the doctor. • Listen carefully, take notes, ask questions. • Debrief with someone after the visit. • Seek second opinions when needed. • Learn to navigate the health care system • Do research (WEB, library, etc.).

  4. Doing WEB Research • Who runs the site? • Who pays for the site? • What is the purpose of the site? • What is the source of the information? • How current is the information? • What links are included? • How is the site managed? • Generally reliable sites: .edu & .gov.

  5. ROLE OF PATIENT ADVOCATES Listen to patient to learn their • Medical history • Current issues and priorities Together, prepare a list of • Medical concerns • Questions to ask doctor Listen PREPARE

  6. At the Doctor’s Appointment: • Listen carefully. • Encourage the patient to speak up. • Take notes. • Ask questions if necessary. • Be assertive so that all the patient’s concerns are addressed.

  7. DEBRIEF • Go over what the doctor said. • Draw together medical records, all medications being taken, new prescriptions, etc. • Decide together who will communicate with family, when appropriate. • Decide on next steps. • Make follow-up appointments.

  8. WHEN NECESSARY • Make medical appointments. • Assist with research (WEB, etc.). • Ask questions and explain options. • Coordinate care among health providers. • Interact with HMO, insurers, etc. • Coordinate volunteers to help monitor care in hospital.

  9. Assisting Patients to:

  10. Advance Health Care Directives • Document combining Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and Living Will. • Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)

  11. PATIENT ADVOCATES ARE NOT • Hands-on caregivers • Required to drive patients to appointments • Health Care Agents (e.g. Power of Attorney for Health Care) • Decision-makers

  12. Setting up a Patient Advocate Program • Recruit coordinator and trainers. • Design a training program. • Recruit possible advocates for training (no up-front commitment). • Hold training sessions (we had 6 two-hour sessions). • Sign up advocates. • Publicize and educate about roles advocates can play. • Coordinator receives requests from residents &/or referrals from clinic nurses & assigns advocates.

  13. Books for Patient Advocates • You, The Smart Patient: An Insider’s Handbook for Getting the Best Treatment by Michael F. Roizen & Mehmet C. Oz (2006). • Share The Care: How to Organize a Group to Care for Someone Who Is Seriously Ill, by CappyCapossela & Sheila Warnock (2004). • How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman (2008). • How to Save Your Own Life by Marie Savard, Warner Books, 2000. • How to Survive Your Hospital Stay by Kanegan & Boyette, Simon & Schuster, 2003.

  14. Other Publications • Talking with Your Doctor: A Guide for Older People. Free from National Institute on Aging. NIH Pub. No. 05-3452. ( www.nia.nih.gov/ ) • End of Life:  Helping with Comfort and Care, NIH Publication No. 08-6036, 2008.  Free from National Institute on Aging, NIH. • CONSUMER REPORTS ON HEALTH, monthly • UC BERKELEY WELLNESS LETTER, monthly • MAYO CLINIC HEALTH LETTER, monthly

  15. WEB Sites • www.mayoclinic.com/ • www.harvardwomenshealthwatch.org/ • www.mgh.harvard.edu/news/publications.aspx • www.JohnsHopkinsHealthAlerts.com  • www.nih.gov • www.healthfinder.gov

More Related