Has anyone ever heard of a patient advocate?

[mofongoloco]

A friend of mine is nearing retirement. A long time ICU and other specialty nurse for 30 years. She has started a patient advocacy firm. She goes on appointments, reviews tests and results, explains, teaches and assists. Because she is merely assisting an adult make their own decisions she isn't technically using her license. She is meeting some success and is beginning to hire other nurses to do the appointments under the banner of her company.

Based on a standard home nurse agency. Intake evaluation, plan, implement, wash, repeat.

So, For Gringo tourists and resident ex-pats do you guys see any value in such a service? It would have to include top notch clinical expertise and a rolodex of dominican contacts. This would be gringo prices for gringo clients.

It's a growing thing in the US and some plans reimburse for it.

What do you guys think.

Gotta be savvy in the DR. Not for a newbie. Gotta know you stuff clinically.

Thoughts?

 

[Meemselle]

Of course.

My mother had one (in the US) when she was dying. It's common practice, to help patients navigate the health care system and understand diagnosis and treatment options. I would imagine it to be especially important here for ex-pats.

 

[cobraboy]

My company was doing that in the 90's as part of Home Health services.

 

[Danceelite]

I work at one of the largest hospitals in the DC area in a cardiac cath lab. I can see the need for one when the circumstances are as stated in the Meemselle's mothers case if no one in the family has any medical knowledge. However even though its a growing field I don't come in contact with many patient advocates at Inova Faifax and we do many consent required procedures in the cardiac cath lab. As a matter of fact in the ten years or so I ve been there I haven't come in contact with one yet. We are consistently briefed on their existence and a patients right to have and use one but for some reason its just not taking off her in the states

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

I would think that there might be a market for healthcare help, especially among new arrives in Paradise. Understanding a healthcare insurance policy in English can be challenging. One in Spanish nearly impossible for nonnative speakers.*

Understanding what a policy covers, what treatment is being recommended and the best place to get that treatment can be daunting.*

Can one drum up enough business to make a living doing that here, probably not for quite a while? Perhaps if more "recent arrival services" were offered in addition to healthcare, the service could be of use more often.

 

[Meemselle]

I work at one of the largest hospitals in the DC area in a cardiac cath lab. I can see the need for one when the circumstances are as stated in the Meemselle's mothers case if no one in the family has any medical knowledge. However even though its a growing field I don't come in contact with many patient advocates at Inova Faifax and we do many consent required procedures in the cardiac cath lab. As a matter of fact in the ten years or so I ve been there I haven't come in contact with one yet. We are consistently briefed on their existence and a patients right to have and use one but for some reason its just not taking off her in the states

It was included in my mother's health care package. She was a teacher, with 20+ years tenure, so her health care pkg was pretty good. She didn't have to pay extra for it; it was just assumed that if she wanted to utilize it, it would be provided.

A lot of people don't have a doctor, a nurse, or an insurance expert in the family. I also accompanied my ex-mother-in-law to many a doctors' appointment because she was...well, non compos mentis, shall we say, if we're being kind.

 

[DRdreaming]

This service is provided by my company as well. To all employees regardless of whether we are on the company insurance plan or not. It was a great help when my husband was in a bad accident last month and they were able to have the hospital in Santiago direct bill our insurance company, so we didn't have to pay out of pocket first and wait for reimbursement.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[cobraboy]

I think a Patient Advocate is different than a Case Manager.

A Case Manager generally works for an insurance company's best interests.

A Patient Advocate operates more like a "Guardian ad Litem", but with only medical and medical/social issue involvement. They work for what is best for the patient, and can sometimes be in conflict with a Case Manager at an insurance company.

 

[keepcoming]

Most Case Managers are RN's. A patient advocate can basically be anyone. Anyone that acts in the "best interest of the patient" on insurance matters and patient care matters. From arranging DME, RX's, patient placement, physician appointments and so forth. If done correctly it could some in the DR.