Patient Advocacy Essay

918 Words2 Pages

In some instances, case managers may fall short when it comes to effectively meeting the needs of a potential client or patient. There may be a number of reasons why the tactics implemented by the case manager were deemed ineffective. Regardless of any futile attempts that may be made on behalf of a client in the future, a key element that can reduce such ineffectiveness lies in the process of client patient advocacy. Advocacy is a method that contributes to the awareness of something in any field for any reason. To advocate for something, means to support or fight for a particular stance or cause. For a case manager, advocacy for them would be to support or bring awareness to their patients predicament and or conditions in an effort to better …show more content…

According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), the term advocacy refers to a “ supporter, believer, or spokesperson” for a specific cause. The person acting as the advocate can be a friend, family member, professional stranger, or the patient” who is being advocated for (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, n.d.). As a patient, your role is just as important as the case managers when it comes to finding the most effective outcomes for a treatment or care plan. Many patients might be unaware of how much their direct involvement in their care plan can really improve the rate and progress of their success. If a client or patient actively gets themselves involved in their own care solutions and advocate on their own behalf they would be surprised at the results. Some ways patients could advocate for themselves includes “ doing their own research, asking questions, and being open about their past and present medical history ( Punke, 2016). By doing your own research ahead of time and asking questions, you are involving yourself in your own solution …show more content…

For any case manager, a patients wellbeing and the rehabilitation of a patients welfare is a priority. Part of being an effective case manager is being a good advocate for your patient or client at all times. It is the job of the case manager to make sure their patient is heard and that their need are effectively met. If the latter is handled appropriately, the outcome would be favorable because it could mean the clients support system has enlarged (Hussein, 2016) . Targeted support systems for the client can range anywhere from big corporations to small time charity bids. A case manager would be practicing such skills just by reaching out to certain health clinics or lobbying for certain policies that would be beneficial for their client. Part of advocacy process for a case manager includes educating their patients on any services that are deemed vital to the success of their condition. An example of this would be a case manager educating their patients on the benefits of choosing a good healthcare plan (AHC Medias, n.d.). No matter the case, this advocacy process, if effective, can lead to empowerment practices that further improves the rehabilitation process for the

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