Angie's LIST Guide to
Patient advocates

Patient advocates can play an essential part in your receiving the best medical care possible. A patient advocate will help you determine what you need and ensure that you are receiving the proper care.

Contents

Many health care facilities and services are available to offer the type of care and service required by each patient. From ambulance services to hospitals to immediate care and more, there are various services to accommodate each need.

What a patient advocate does

Although the field of patient advocacy has been around for a while, many people aren't clear on what such this service provides. In short, a patient advocate will help you navigate the healthcare system, a process that can start outside of the hospital. An advocate can attend your doctor's appointments to guide you in asking the right questions and keeping track of your doctor's recommendations. He or she can help you understand your diagnosis and treatment options and make difficult medical decisions. A patient advocate also can help you access your medical records and understand the results of medical tests.

In the hospital, a patient advocate will evaluate your treatment and make sure that you don't contract a infection. Finally, an advocate can help you decide what to do once you've left the hospital. The advocate can help you send insurance claims and make sense of your hospital bills. Advocates can be especially beneficial for geriatric patients, as they can help to arrange senior care and hospice services.

Finding patient advocates

Patient advocacy is still a growing field, so it can take a bit of work to find someone in your area. Start by asking trusted nurses or doctors for suggestions of someone with whom they've worked before. Check whether a patient advocate is registered with the National Association of Healthcare Advocacy Consultants (NAHAC). If you have health insurance, you may want to check with your insurance company. Many companies partner with agencies of healthcare professionals such as advocates. You also may want to inquire whether your insurance covers this service.

Verify their qualifications, education, continuing education, accepted insurance plans and affiliated hospitals by consulting Angie's List, where you can also see member reviews and rankings.

If you're looking for an advocate and also staying in an institution, such as a hospital or nursing home, you may want to ask whether advocates are on staff. When working with patient advocates who are on an institution's payroll, make sure that this advocate can be impartial when working as a mediator between the patient and the institution's staff.

Choosing a patient advocate

Finding a patient advocate is an important decision. One of the first things you should look at is credentials. There are no nationally recognized credentials for a patient advocate, but a number of schools offer certificates in patient advocacy. A good patient advocate will also have a background in the healthcare industry, such as experience working as a nurse.

Make sure that the patient advocate will be helpful in your particular situation. You should ask the advocate about experience handling cases similar to yours, and be sure to ask for references. Ask all supplied references if the patient advocate offered helpful services. Would they hire the advocate again? Getting information from people who have worked with the patient advocate in the past is one of the best ways to get a sense of his or her abilities.

Expect advocates to be more in demand as the baby boomer generation ages.

Be sure to ask your patient advocate where he or she is located and what hours he or she works so that you can reach your patient advocate when needed. Your advocate should be able to attend doctor appointments and meet you at the hospital if you're admitted. Be sure to ask how much your patient advocate charges, as well as how long it will take to offer the services needed.

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