Patient advocate can ease health-care issues

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/06/2014 (4104 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Have you ever gone to your doctor and left unsure about what was said and what you are to do? You may have had a question but were afraid to ask. You may not have understood all the medical terms used. You may have worried about looking foolish by asking questions.

Health care is complex and sometimes scary. Decisions about health care are made more difficult by the fact 60 per cent of adult Canadians and a staggering 88 per cent of seniors are not health-literate. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada’s website, this means six of 10 Canadian adults, and almost nine of 10 Canadian seniors, do not have the skills to find, understand, evaluate and talk about everyday health information in order to manage their own health.

There is good news. Research shows patients who are informed and engaged, who have the support and involvement of family and others, achieve better outcomes and experience increased patient satisfaction. People can learn to advocate for themselves and others, but it does take practice.

I am a patient advocate. I learned the value of being one a decade ago when my husband was diagnosed with cancer. I strongly believe knowledge is power and we can learn to be informed health-care consumers.

So how does one go about getting a patient advocate?

You begin by finding out what your rights are as a patient. When I tell people they have rights as patients, some express surprise. But, one right all patients in Manitoba have is to get help from a patient advocate, if you feel you need one.

You can choose anyone you want to be your patient advocate — a spouse, your son or daughter, brother or sister, or a willing friend. The only qualification they must have is an ability to speak up on your behalf and to help you navigate the health-care system.

Typically, a patient advocate will accompany you to visit your doctor or to the hospital. Perhaps you are too sick, too tired, too frail or just too overwhelmed to speak up for yourself. Or maybe you have trouble stating your concerns and your feelings. English may be your second language. A patient advocate can serve as a second set of eyes and ears during your patient journey.

In selecting a patient advocate, choose a person you trust. Someone you can talk with openly and honestly. A person you know is confident, polite and respectful of others. Someone you know will support you and your health-care wishes

With your consent, your advocate can talk with members of your health-care team, including your doctor. She or he can express your concerns to health-care staff and arrange your medical appointments. She or he can go to your appointments and take notes for you. The patient advocate can be present when your doctor speaks with you. She of he can ask questions about your health care and test results. She or he can track your medications. With your written permission, this person can also access your personal health information. With your input, this person can help you make decisions about your treatment. The advocate can point out errors or harmful situations that may affect your safety as a patient.

To work well with your patient advocate, I suggest you complete a patient advocate form. This form is available on the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety website at mips.ca. It is not a legal or medical form. It is intended only to help you work with your advocate to meet your health-care wishes during your patient journey.

With practice, you can learn to be an informed and engaged patient and health-care consumer.

 

For more information on how to advocate for yourself and others, go to www.mips.ca and look for the Self-Advocacy For Everyone (SAFE) Toolkit.

 

Dawn White is a patient advocate. She works as a consultant at the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety.