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How Empowering Your Clients Makes You a Better, and Stronger, Health Advocate

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Those of you who know me beyond my work with AdvoConnection may know that my roots – the reason I started AdvoConnection – came from patient empowerment – specifically the recognition that when we are sick and debilitated, or scared or worried, most of us are unable to process the information we need to assess in order to make the wisest choices for ourselves. I experienced it myself, and I’ve heard stories over and over again – where the illness and emotion just don’t allow for even the most intelligent, rational thinkers to conduct themselves the way they would in […]

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Dear Abby Lights a Fire Under Health Advocates, Too

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Maybe twenty years ago, I read a Dear Abby column that went something like: “Dear Abby, When I was younger, I wanted to be a doctor when I grew up. But life got in the way – I got married, had three kids, was a good wife…. But now my kids are grown and on their own. I’m 47 years old, but I find I still have my dream of becoming a doctor. By the time I get back into school, and do my residency, it will be 10 years before I have doctor in front of my name! What

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Just Who Is Making Your Clients’ Medical Decisions?

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A 58-year old man learns he has early stage prostate cancer. His urologist suggests he wait for a few months so they can test him again, then decide whether he needs treatment. But the man decides to get a second opinion to find a doctor who will treat him, because he just wants that cancer gone. It doesn’t take him long to find a doctor willing to treat him as much as he’d like to be treated. An 85-year old woman with diabetes has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Her doctor tells her she needs surgery to remove her breast,

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Getting Your Clients Past Magical Thinking

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image - magical thinking

Today’s post is very personal, reflecting a situation I believe many families go through, brought on by any number of attitudes and fears. I’m hoping that by sharing it, you can find a role for your advocacy work; a way to help families who need someone to provide a reality check. It’s about providing a gift to some of your patients and their families – in effect, giving them permission to say no to further treatment. As I thought about the situation, I remembered back many years ago when my mother, who at the time was in her 10th year

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What’s a Bad Outcome? And Where Does the Fault Lie?

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Scenario: Joan, age 75, living in Ft. Lauderdale, was diagnosed with Stage IV Ovarian Cancer. Joan’s daughter, Beth, who lives in Kansas, contacts Maxine, a private patient advocate and RN who works in Ft. Lauderdale, to help her mother. Joan, Beth and Maxine have extensive conversations about the care Joan will need. The decision is made that Joan will need surgery and chemo. Maxine is hired to oversee the care since Beth lives so far away. The surgery goes well. The hospital stay is typical. Joan is discharged from the hospital, but three days later begins to show signs of

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Just How Many Patient Advocates Are There?

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One of our AdvoConnection members asked me the question a few weeks ago: How many patient advocates do I think there are? I’ve got some educated guesses. But there are actually three parts to the question. Just trying to figure out how many there are is only the first part. Figuring out the trends is also important. And figuring out who can actually help patients in the ways they need help is the other. Here are the answers I gave her. See what you think. Add or subtract. Change direction. Whatever you think…. because you and your role are found

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Setting New Standards for a New Profession – Your Chance to Help

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As announced to AdvoConnection’s members last week, we have been working on a prescribed process for advocates who find it necessary to terminate their work with a client – in effect, to “divorce” that client, professionally, legally, and with the least amount of difficulty for both parties. (Members will find access to that protocol in this coming week’s Monday Member Mail.) One step in the process is the recommendation about sharing the notes you’ve kept with the client you’re divorcing, and the question about whether or not you, as the professional patient advocate, should be keeping those notes after you

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