Patient advocate

honeysuckle · Regular Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 34

What or who is a patient advocate?

I saw something briefly about this and wasn't too sure where you find such an individual.

brainman · Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:03 am Post subject: Re: Patient advocate

Honeysuckle, there are two types of patient advocates and I am not sure to which you are referring.

The first are the professional patient advocates. This individuals usually have some upper level post graduate training such as Social Worker of Ministry. They are hired by institutions such as hospitals to look out and speak out for the best interest of the patients... not for the best interest of the institution that pays there salaries. The job takes someone with extraordinary people and political skills to navigate the often turbulent waters between patient and institution.

The there is the second group which is us. Is my mother's and father's primary care provider, I often had to assert their needs and requirements with their medical teams and with the institutions providing them with health care. In those instances, I was their patient advocate. I also have to be my own patient advocate not letting myself get lost in my medical team's bureaucracy but demanding to be treated as a human being and as an individual.

One key quality that is required of both of these is the ability to act assertively on behalf of the patient.
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honeysuckle · Regular Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 34

Thanks Brainman.

I will see about finding a PA through the hospital.

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