There is a saying that patient advocates can use to empower their patients to improve patient engagement. It is See One, Do One, Teach One.
Teaching our patients what we know, allowing them to practice with you and then work on their own, will enable them to be their own best advocates.
Two of the key competencies we bring to our work are being proactive in managing cases and being an advocate for our patients. As an independent case manager/patient advocate, I have found these competencies form the basis of patient and family education.
Being proactive means thinking ahead, anticipating what could happen, and working to help to avoid setbacks such as readmissions, unnecessary emergency department visits, and setbacks that impact the patient’s recovery.
To be proactive, we all need to understand the patient’s condition and the proposed care plan that the patient and the treatment team have agreed on. I need good communication skills with the patient, the family, the healthcare team, and other stakeholders. To be proactive, I need to stay on top of clinical issues, ask questions and share the information I gain as the case progresses.
Teaching my patients and their families to be proactive allows them to take control back, which is often lost when a person enters the complex world of healthcare. Empowering patients to ask questions and share their goals and wishes to help them better understand their care and how the system works.
As an advocate, I educate my patients and their families in setting reasonable expectations of the healthcare system and its role. I urge them to be involved, ask questions, and follow up on things they have been told need would happen.
To show them how to advocate for themselves, I have started having my patient on many calls with providers and others who influence their care. Doing this allows the patient to hear me ask key questions and enables them to say what is on their minds (which is the reason we are calling). Including them empowers them to ask their questions, which can lead to changes in the care plan.
What are the competencies that you teach your patients? Put a comment in the comment section so we can all learn from one another.
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Way to go, Anne. I like having my clients on the calls, as well. I’m also a fan of teaching them how to create a Medical Summary Report and having a list of questions handed to the Doctor in advance in order to make the most of their medical visit. Time and time again it’s been proven to increase the amount of time during their medical appointment, create better engagements and lead to better health outcomes. Once learned, it’s a skill that can serve them the rest of their life.
Hello
I wrote “The Patient Advocacy Handbook” for families and friends of patients in the healthcare system.
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May I submit an article?
I use simple language, and listen more than talk. Some families are experts on knowing the symptoms of their loved one. Those little things are big things. Respecting sleep patterns and making their favorite foods . Turning on the TV for their favorite shows because they can’t keep track of time makes for a more meaningful day. And when the decisions are hard and families are conflicted I say this. “Any decision made with love is the right decision. How could it not be”
I never thought of having the client on a call to the medical provider. I did have the client with me when speaking to, and asking questions, with the provider, so the client would know my clinician discussions were about the client, doing nothing behind his/her back.
– When I started as a Case Manager 39 years ago, technology I used did not allow for a conference, or speaker, call!
TRUST, in my opinion, is a main ingredient with a client to help ensure the best outcome possible.
Well said Anne! I too engage the patient and their families in the advocacy process as much as possible and as appropriate. It helps them to learn to advocate for themselves and feel empowered. I invite the family and the patient to “be part of the team”.
I love Sharon’s quote “Any decision made with love is the right decision. How could it not be”