April 27, 2009 at 4:45 pm | Other health issues, Problem Solving, Uncategorized
- Posted by blog |
As some readers may know, I was a diplomat for 24 years with the Department of State before starting my Patient Navigator business. I retired from Federal service on December 31, 2008.
One thing I can safely say: your Federal Government is well-prepared to cope with an epidemic or pandemic. When in 2006-2007 it looked like Avian flu might spread dramatically, the government spent considerable resources to put in place systems, procedures and training to deal with an outbreak. Policies were coordinated globally and with U.S. States.
Too many people, especially Republicans, are fond of gratuitously criticizing the Federal government and its employees. No one ever praises the career civil service when things go right. (Good news doesn’t sell). You should feel relieved to know that if the swine flu disease spreads, the U.S. is prepared to cope with it. The foresight, planning and resources devoted to preparing for a pandemic are a true success story. Kudos to hard-working public servants across multiple U.S. agencies who made this happen.
April 23, 2009 at 5:47 pm | Cancer, Health Care Reform, Problem Solving, Uncategorized
- Posted by blog |
I’ve said in previous posts that we must move to digital records. In the past weeks, I’ve heard horror stories about the inability of medical providers to communicate with each other. I personally know that to be true. I recently asked a doctor treating my daughter if he was planning to inform another specialist (separately treating my daughter) about some new circumstances in her care. He brushed off my question saying that “Talking to Dr. X is the least of my concerns.” So it is up to the patient to make sure that the various members of her medical team communicate. The danger of fragmented care is that the left hand doesn’t know/doesn’t care what the right hand is doing.
I’m attaching this link to an NPR piece describing the findings of a Kaiser Family Foundation poll about the public’s view of moving to a digital record keeping system. Views are mixed, which I think is worrisome. I am dreaming of the day when I won’t have to fill out the same form multiple times for different doctors. Electronic Health Records make too much sense for people to realize their value easily. We’re just too used to everything being complicated and inefficient when it comes to health care.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103322780#commentBlock
April 9, 2009 at 6:50 pm | Cancer, Health Care Reform, Integrative Care, Problem Solving, Training, Uncategorized
- Posted by blog |
Note of February 2010: For an update to the original post below, please look at the update of February 24, 2010
As many of you have observed, “patient navigation” is a new and emerging field which has come about because of the complexity, inefficiency and cost of the current American health care system. If you visit my website (www.patientnavigator.com) you will see how I came to be a patient navigator (advocate, medical mentor, cancer coach) as a second career.
As an emerging industry, there is no clear definition or standard training. Many hospitals in the U.S. and Canada employ navigators to help patients manage their hospital stays. The National Institutes of Health is funding several patient navigator pilot projects across the U.S. in underserved and minority areas. There are a few people scattered across the United States doing navigation in their own communities. There are a couple of companies in the U.S. who sell advocacy services to large corporations as an employee benefit.
I have heard from folks around the country who want to become patient navigators, but I know only of one training program/certification under development at the University of Miami due to launch in September 2009. I believe that Sarah Lawrence College offers a Master’s degree in patient advocacy (but it is theoretical, not hands-on). The Denver hospital mentioned in the March 29 Parade article (separate post) offers some training.
Most of us who do this work come to it through our own experiences dealing with the health care or elder care system (whether as a patient, caregiver, nurse, social worker, etc.) There is no specific background or education that is required. I have found that a passion for helping others, good research, communication, interpersonal and organizational skills as well as the ability to be creative in finding resources and solving problems are what it takes.
I am currently talking with possible navigators from across the U.S. They will be trained more formally at a later date, but for now, I am evaluating each person individually on what skills and experience (professional, personal and life experience) they can offer. I think that collectively, we need to get started to define this industry moving forward.
My goal is that Patient Navigator, LLC will be the company that creates the standards and leads the way.
I am planning a “virtual meeting” with the nearly 40 people who have contacted me since the publication of the Parade magazine article March 29. To learn more, please contact us through this blog or the website.
