patient advocacy

Survey Says! The Results Are In

We privately paid, independent, professional patient advocates “tend to be older, white, female, more highly educated, and have other medical training or past careers in related professions.” …. or at least that is one conclusion drawn by the surveyors — those who built, issued and analyzed the first National Health and Patient Advocate Survey.* Both private, self-employed advocates, and employed advocates (hospitals, insurers, employers), were surveyed. Whether or not you were one of the folks who took the survey, if you have any interest in patient or health advocacy as a profession, you’ll be interested in the results. They were …

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Would You Draw a Line?

from Wikipedia

Early in my patient empowerment work, I was invited to write a column for my local daily newspaper. Over the next six years, I wrote hundreds of columns on every empowerment topic imaginable from how to get copies of your own medical records, to how to research a drug your doctor prescribed for you, to the (what we called at the time) “healthcare reform”. My column ended in 2011, but much of that work still stands today, some as useful today as it was then.* As a result of those columns, I became a resource person for many locals who …

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Balance in All Things – We Create a World of Good

Since moving last month, I now live not far from Orlando. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know the tragic and horrible events that have surrounded this city during the past ten days. From the killing of a promising young singer, to the mass murder of 49 young people, to a toddler’s death by alligator. I didn’t directly know anyone involved, but I can certainly speak to the pall that has been cast. The horror, followed by the myriad resulting emotions – sadness, dread, apprehension, and certainly the anger… Contrasted with those events, this week my inbox featured …

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The YOMs Are Back! (And That’s Not a Good Thing)

You may be aware that The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates maintains a list of mentors – people who have worked in private advocacy for long enough, and who have become successful enough, to be willing to, and able, to mentor advocate wannabes – those of you who want to become the best advocate you can be, but understand there are limitations to your knowledge that will get in the way of your success. Our listed mentors are professionals who are paid for their expertise, education, and advice by those who want to learn from them. Hold that thought. We …

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Tough Questions, Informative Discussions, and Opportunities to Count Our Blessings

From 2006 to 2010, I hosted a weekly radio show, sponsored by Upstate Medical University (Syracuse, NY). It gave me the opportunity to interview truly knowledgeable experts in every aspect of medicine and healthcare you can imagine. It was an incredible learning experience. I would walk away from our recordings each week realizing that for every iota of information I knew or had just learned, there were millions of iotas I didn’t know, would never know, and might never even know to ask about. Gratifying, brain-stimulating, and sometimes overwhelming. Included in the conversations was a monthly feature that focused on …

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A Train of Thought to Put You on the Fast Track to Success

Last week my husband and I made our move. After decades of living in Upstate NY, we moved to Florida (hey! It’s hot down here!) – and are now transitioning to new lives in a new place, with new friends, new challenges, new fun and more. The 1200+ mile trip itself was made a little easier by taking the Amtrak Auto Train. If you aren’t familiar with the Auto Train, it’s a service that transports both you and your car, leaving from the Washington DC area and traveling non-stop to Sanford, Florida, just north of Orlando. Your car is loaded …

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When Clients Lie

Years ago, I hosted a radio show where I had the opportunity to interview medical providers from many specialties about their work with patients. One of the recurring themes was that “Patients lie.” Now – you might wonder why that would become a theme, but the answer is quite simple. It was important to discuss it during the show because smart patients need to know that their providers assume they are lying as a part of the diagnoses or treatment they provide. (Good advice for smart advocates, too.) Here are some examples: An anesthesiologist told me that patients are always …

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APHA Blog : The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates
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