One of the hardest things about modern healthcare is the amount that we expect from the patients.  Patients are now expected to be actively involved in their care and treatment decisions and to make multiple follow ups with different people at different places.  While I see some organizations trying to buck this trend and consolidate care I am more concerned about the people who are sick and need care now.

YOU NEED A HEALTHCARE ADVOCATE
The bottom line is that you need to have a healthcare advocate with you whom you trust and are willing to share all of your problems and concerns with.  Most importantly, they need to be someone who is willing to ask questions of the doctors, take notes, and advocate for you when necessary.

Recently I was attending a dentist visit with a family member who needed to have several teeth extracted.  In typical fashion for modern healthcare the process took several steps the first of which was a tooth specific referral for extraction from the dentist to take to the oral surgeon.  About half of the time with the dentist was a discussion about whether one of the front teeth should be pulled or if he should attempt to fill it.

After several minutes of the dentist explaining his reasoning but not giving a firm recommendation, I asked one simple question “What are the risks of trying to fill the tooth first and then having it extracted if the filling fails?”

It was one of those moments where you could almost see the light bulb come on over the dentists head. Ten minutes later we were on the way out the door with an appointment to attempt a filling before we went to the oral surgeon.

There were several ways having me there was useful that day.  The first is that I kept my family member calm and comfortable.  I also provided information and filled in some background details that had escaped mention during history taking.  But the most important was that I was able to ask a question that led to a plan of action that everyone was comfortable with.  Basically, while struggling to make a choice between procedures I simply asked if we couldn’t try one before the other to see if that simplified an otherwise complex decision.

HEALTHCARE ADVOCATE BENEFITS
Below are a few of the benefits of having a health care advocate with you when you get health care.

1. A healthy, somewhat less interested mind to help.  (A healthcare advocate can help you and your doctor think, especially if they know you well and keep a level head under stress.  Most people have a hard time thinking clearly when they are sick and in pain, another person can help tremendously.)
2. An extra set of ears.  (Frequently when seeking care people are distracted because let’s face it, it’s hard to discuss serious risks to your health without an emotional reaction.  Health care advocates can listen with you, and help protect your interests.)
3. A stronger voice.  (With a healthy advocate sitting with you can make sure that your interests and questions are communicated clearly, and responded to.)
4. Comfort of having someone familiar with you.  (It is very easy to get overwhelmed by having to interact with a series of strangers in strange environments, doing strange things.  An advocate can provide a sense of normalcy and provide comfort that would otherwise be absent.)

Your Health Shield:  Make sure that someone you trust and know well can act as a health advocate for you when you get care.