Got Medical Questions? There's a Health Advocate For That

The health advocate is a new idea that is coming onto the scene. People are seeing money savings, prevention of hospitalizations, faster healthcare experiences and better health outcomes. Think of a health advocate as an overseer of your healthcare. The advocate will coordinate your care with all of your providers making sure they are all communicating well. The advocate will stay in close contact with you making sure that any issues are handled quickly and efficiently avoiding hospitalizations and costly medications. And this is just the tip of the iceberg with what a health advocate can provide.Health advocates are usually registered nurses with diverse hospital experience. They are familiar with care both in the hospital, in the doctor's office, and at home. Nurses are good for this type of work because of their knowledge not just of healthcare and medicine but also their experience with how the healthcare system works. It is the intimate knowledge of the system that allows the advocate to drive your care forward and speed up your stay.But, the role of the advocate doesn't just stop at the hospital or doctor's office. If you suffer from a health problem, your problem doesn't go away when you go home. Your problems are still there, but at home you are alone. You are alone until now. The advocate is only a phone call away and will field any problems and even help integrate your life to whatever medical problems you have. If you ask a question that the advocate doesn't know off the top of his/her head, then the advocate should have a myriad of different specialists to consult with from a variety of specialties.Many times, it isn't obvious when people need assistance dealing with physicians, hospitals, or insurance companies until something bad happens. The advocate is a good reactive answer to smoothing out issues with your health with no hassle on the patient's part, but the advocate is an even better preventer of health issues. Also remember to always go with a private health advocate instead of one who works for the hospital, physician's office, or insurance company since the private advocate doesn't have any special interests or limitations.