A diagnosis of cancer is devastating and overwhelming, no matter how old you are or what type of cancer has been diagnosed. In each case the road ahead will provide treatment that aims to eradicate that cancer. If this is not possible the treatment will manage it with the intention of giving the sufferer a better life expectancy.
Of course, every situation and diagnosis is different. However, patients can often benefit from having an advocate on their side to help them seek out the best treatment in their individual case.
What is patient advocacy?
Patient advocacy is a middle ground between the patient and the health professional. Let us consider a situation where a patient has been diagnosed with cancer. They are suddenly faced with the prospect of considering different options for treatment, often being presented with one clear path as the preferred route to take. This can be an overwhelmingly emotional time, but it can also be confusing.
An advocate is a go between who helps to ensure the patient gets the information they need from the care givers. In this situation, they will have experience of helping other cancer patients achieve the best possible outcome. It is understandable to be confused and not know which questions should be asked in terms of communicating with health professionals in this situation. However, with the assistance of an advocate, the process of gaining information can be much easier than it would be otherwise.
Of course, every situation and diagnosis is different. However, patients can often benefit from having an advocate on their side to help them seek out the best treatment in their individual case.
What is patient advocacy?
Patient advocacy is a middle ground between the patient and the health professional. Let us consider a situation where a patient has been diagnosed with cancer. They are suddenly faced with the prospect of considering different options for treatment, often being presented with one clear path as the preferred route to take. This can be an overwhelmingly emotional time, but it can also be confusing.
An advocate is a go between who helps to ensure the patient gets the information they need from the care givers. In this situation, they will have experience of helping other cancer patients achieve the best possible outcome. It is understandable to be confused and not know which questions should be asked in terms of communicating with health professionals in this situation. However, with the assistance of an advocate, the process of gaining information can be much easier than it would be otherwise.
Benefiting from another person's experience
The major advantage of having an advocate working for you in this situation is that they will have helped other patients navigate their way through similar experiences. You can therefore take advantage of their knowledge and experience of asking the right questions and knowing where you can find pertinent information and advice.
Help can arrive in many forms for those who get a cancer diagnosis. However, as you can see, it can be extremely beneficial to enlist the services of a patient advocate to help you. This is particularly true when it comes to the subject of getting a second opinion. Some patients do not even consider this as a prospect, nor do they know how to go about it. With a patient advocacy service working for them, they can access information that could change their lives.
It is important to gain knowledge about your type of cancer should you receive such a diagnosis. If you have an advocate to help you, the whole process will be far easier to go through in this respect.
The charity Thrift Urban Housing offers a patient advocacy service. They can provide advocates to help and support those who require further information about their treatment and condition. They also support Gillian Advocates, supporting those who have been diagnosed with the specific condition cholangiocarcinoma.
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