This story in the link below of a woman who was incorrectly diagnosed as NOT having cancer is heartbreaking and unfortunately all too common. As an oncology nurse, I have countless examples of patients told not to worry, only to find out later that they had advanced disease. One patient was told by his primary care physician that men don’t get breast cancer after he discovered a lump in his chest. By the time he did follow up on the lump, he had metastatic disease. Another patient told me that she waited months to follow up on pelvic pain and bloating because her physician told her she was constipated and needed to eat more fiber. It turns out she had ovarian cancer.
As an advocate, I always encourage my clients and others to advocate for themselves but patients often feel awkward questioning a physician. Either because they are afraid of offending him or her or in the assumption that the physician is an educated professional who must be right. The truth is, medicine is imperfect and physicians and other medical professional
are human.
You know your body and what feels unusual. Don’t be afraid to speak up and push for acceptable answers and follow-ups that makes sense to you and what you are experiencing. If you don’t feel like you are being heard or just need someone to help you navigate the healthcare system a patient advocate can always help.
With the increase in deductibles, consumers are paying more of their healthcare costs. You can help control costs and avoid unnecessary testing and procedures by asking the right questions of your physician. For example, I had a client who decided against a biopsy of a possible metastatic bone lesion because he was older and decided he would not seek treatment for the primary prostate cancer. A biopsy would by uncomfortable, time consuming, and expensive but wouldn’t change his plan which was to have only
.palliative care
I recognize that in the context of the first article that asking for fewer tests and procedures may seem counter intuitive, but the takeaway is that an informed patient, who isn’t afraid of asking questions and making their wishes known will get the best care that is consistent with his or her goals. Asking your physicians the following questions can help you make an educated decision.
I am often asked what a private patient advocate does and the truth is we handle a LOT of different types of healthcare issues. Each month, I am going to share a patient advocate success story with you. These stories, not only highlight what a patient advocate does but how modern medical healthcare is dysfunctional in ways that require patients to reach out to advocates to get their problems solved and needs met.
This month find out how my colleague, Marilyn Whitley, is helping a client handle 273 denied claims AFTER the claims had been approved and paid. Yes, it is confusing and just plain wrong.
