Being a hospitalized patient is perhaps one of the most disempowering experiences an individual can face (besides being in war or a prisoner).
Patients face constant uncertainty; having no idea what time their physician will visit, when they will be taken for their tests, or who will suddenly interrupt them again with a demand – perhaps an early morning blood draw, or yet another round of interrogation and uncomfortable examination (by students, trainees, and consultants).
You need an advocate for the following reasons:
- Patients sometimes forget to address their concerns
- Patient advocates may provide valuable information
- Having a trusted ally at the bedside forces more engagement from the healthcare team.
For more on this subject, please read Patients Need An Advocate.
DISCLAIMER – Videos by VarunVermaMD.com are for informational purposes only. Not to be considered medical advice and no doctor-physician relationship implied or present. Call 911 if you have a medical emergency
Dr. Verma THANK YOU this video is spot on and I thank you for speaking your truth. Empowerment is crucial for our survival and I feel not enough focus is given to empowerment of patients.
Thanks for watching. Yes, definitely there is no focus to empower patients. As many of my colleagues have pointed out – the whole system unfortunately is a sick-care system and not a healthcare system.