Deeper Engagements Equal Better Outcomes
Patient Advocacy Along with Direct Home Care
Why is Broad Street the best option for home care in Chicago? Nurses at Broad Street do so much more than simply provide care and oversight. They are Care Managers as well as Patient Advocates for each of our clients. Their involvement with you goes far deeper than most individuals anticipate. This deeper engagement is unique to Broad Street and is the core element of our Direct Home Care service model which includes a highly personalized plan that evolves with you as your needs change. The unrivaled level of care we can provide is paramount when considering Patient Advocacy services in conjunction with Direct Home Care.
What Can a Patient Advocate Do?
To be truly effective, Patient Advocates need to be intimately involved with you not only to understand your wishes but to provide highly personalized guidance as life changing events take place. Clinical knowledge and experience are the basis of Patient Advocacy. But the application of this knowledge is only half of the Patient Advocates job. Understanding you and articulating your precise wishes are crucial aspects of effective Patient Advocacy.
The goal of your Patient Advocacy is to ultimately improve the outcome of your treatment. To accomplish this effectively, your Patient Advocate must possess:
Clinical Expertise
A deep understanding of you and your specific needs
An ability to communicate information TO your care team
An ability to communicate information FROM your care team
A voice to keep you safe and cared for
A combination of all of the above to improve treatment outcomes
The Role of Patient Advocate
To truly understand the function of a Patient Advocate and unique ways they can help in your personal situation, let’s look at some definitions of what a Patient Advocate is:
According to Cancer.gov:
A Patient Advocate is a person who helps guide a patient through the healthcare system. This includes help going through the screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of a medical condition, such as cancer. A patient advocate helps patients communicate with their healthcare providers so they get the information they need to make decisions about their health care.
An article published on ProactiveMD.com:
A trusted ally to guide patients through the ever-changing, complex healthcare industry. A patient advocate is someone who serves as a singular point of contact for medical patients as they seek, receive, and manage healthcare services.
And at Online.Maryville.edu:
All healthcare professionals, including nurses, must be advocates for their patients, according to S.E. Shannon, writing for the Hastings Center Report.
It’s your responsibility as a nurse and patient advocate to ascertain the desires of the people you treat and ensure those desires are articulated to others involved in patient care, including doctors, social workers, and other nurses. Lynda Lampert, a Philadelphia-based registered nurse writing for Ausmed, says nurses may also need to speak up for patients when addressing family members and loved ones.
Because of nurses’ close monitoring of patients, Shannon adds, a nurse may see changes in a patient’s health before other members of the healthcare team do. Therefore, it’s your duty as a nurse to address these matters urgently before the patient’s health is further compromised.
Personalized Patient Advocacy Services
Broad Street offers Patient Advocacy when needed – and only at your request. With a deep understanding of your unique care plan, our patient advocacy services aim to provide the very best outcomes in any situation. In considering patient advocacy services, keep in mind the key words and phrases in the aforementioned citations, such as:
Guide
Help communicate
Ally
Seek, receive and manage services
Ascertain the desires of the people you treat
Close monitoring
First and foremost, Patient Advocates are responsible to ascertain the desires of you or your loved one. To do this, their level of their engagement must be deep. Close monitoring is needed in communicating your needs to other healthcare providers involved in your care.
Equally as important, your Patient Advocate is your ally, guiding you through the complexities of the healthcare environment. They ask the questions that help clarify what treatment is being proposed. This knowledge empowers you to make the right decisions about your care.
Finally, your Patient Advocate manages the care you are receiving. In times of healthcare issues, you have enough on your mind. Having a deeply engaged, professional nurse at your side can provide you comfort and lessen the worries on your mind.