Patient advocacy, or patient navigation, is gaining attention as an emerging profession, both in the media and in the popular lexicon, because it fills so many gaps in the current American health care system. This is especially true today as we continue implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is changing the landscape for consumers in how health care is delivered and paid for in this country.
Patient Navigator LLC was interviewed for this excellent reporting by Jeff Blyskal at Consumers’ Checkbook. His article explains clearly the many ways an advocate can help patients and families solve problems and find their way through the healthcare maze. If you’d like to learn more about how an advocate can help you, now or in…
Being diagnosed with a serious illness is a frightening experience. It is important that you research and educate yourself about your disease and learn to communicate with your medical team. An informed patient gets better results.
Any serious diagnosis thrusts patients and their families into an unfamiliar world of doctors, tests and treatment options. Here are my suggestions as you begin the journey through illness.
The holiday season – beginning with Thanksgiving and through the New Year – can be unbearably hard if you are grieving the loss of a loved one. Here are my tips to survive.
Easter Seals Project ACTION and the American Medical Association have a new pocket guide for patient transportation options before or after a medical procedure.
Many people experience depression during the holiday season. Now imagine trying to face it when you are grieving the loss of a loved one. It is very hard. It is painful. It is unbearably sad. Here are my own tips on how to get through the holidays if you are grieving.
Caregiving for a friend or loved one can be a life-changing experience on many levels. It may mean putting your own life on hold and it may become all-consuming. It might bring joy and quality time with your loved one, or it may bring heartache and despair at the course of events. Studies show that women are the majority of caregivers in this country, often caring for an aging parent and small children at the same time.
Undergoing treatment for a serious illness is emotionally draining, expensive, uncertain, and it will almost surely turn your life upside down. Chances are that you will face obstacles and need assistance. Whether that help comes in the form of finding medical information, financial assistance, or emotional support, it’s important to know where you can receive trusted information and guidance.
The Journal of General Internal Medicine recently released ethical guidelines addressing patient, physician, and caregiver relationships. The medical community is increasingly respecting the role of caregivers and offering guidance on how to develop that relationship.
After four years of suffering and multiple misdiagnosis, medical mystery is solved. Emma’s pain began four years ago, with a sudden, sharp pain in her neck. By the time she contacted Patient Navigator, she had spent many thousands of dollars seeking a diagnosis for the unrelenting pain and troubling symptoms that had worsened steadily over…
Starting the end-of-life conversation. Nick’s wife had been very ill with an incurable disease for five years. She had begun to ask about end-of life options, especially hospice and palliative care. Patient Navigator provided Nick and his wife with useful information that they could use to begin a family conversation. We suggested local palliative care…