I’ve been reading a great book called “Improving Healthcare Through Advocacy: A Guide for the Health and Helping Professions” by Bruce S. Jansson, a Professor of Social Policy and Administration at the University of Southern California.
Jansson talks about the many barriers that people can face in trying to access care for physical and mental health conditions. He also outlines several ways in which you can serve as an advocate to help empower others to more easily navigate the often complicated health care system. Let’s review 10 of these important strategies.
- Show people health-focused Internet sources which can be helpful to them, and which feature accurate and current information about health conditions. Here are some additional strategies for evaluating online health information.
- Refer people to support groups. I’ve written before about the many potential benefits of support groups. These groups may be in-person or online, and often focus on one particular disease or problem related to physical or mental health.
- Direct people to reliable information about specific health care providers or health care facilities. For example, most health care licensing boards will publish any official sanctions or reprimands that a health care provider may have received related to inappropriate practice. Also many websites provide consumer ratings of the care they have received from specific providers or facilities.
- Help people develop a list of questions they need to ask when they see their health care providers. At a minimum, follow the “Ask Me 3” approach to find out about the nature of your health problem, what to do about it and why the recommendations are important to follow.
- Let people know that they have the right to ask for a copy of their health care records. This is usually started by simply asking the staff at the health care provider’s office to provide a copy of your records. Also, some health care facilities provide online records of your health care history after you create an online account through their system.
- Give people information about useful health hotlines and advocacy groups related to their concerns. As my primary focus is on mental health, check out my list of helpful mental health crisis lines, as well as a list of some of the leading mental health organizations.
- Talk with people about how to effectively communicate with their health insurance company. All of the major health insurance companies have informative websites, toll-free customer support numbers, and online directories to search for different types of physical and mental health providers. If you register to create an online account, you can also gain access to your personal history of health care visits.
- Coach people to help them prepare for potentially difficult conversations with their health care providers. For example, you may want to switch to a different provider or ask for a second opinion about your health concerns. It can be really helpful to jot down your main questions and talking points beforehand.
- Help people arrange to have a family member or friend go with them to a health care visit. This offers a lot of moral support and the person who goes along can help to make sure all important questions are asked and answered, as well as taking notes about important recommendations offered by the health care provider.
- Help people understand and decipher complicated written health information. Much of the printed materials used in health care is written with complicated terms at a college reading level and almost all of us us have trouble understanding this information. You can help others by looking up the meaning of complex terms and putting them into more clear and simple language.
As a final note, with the current focus on telehealth services, you can help others by setting up the apps or programs they will need for their online visit with their health care provider or by troubleshooting when difficulties arise with the technology.
These are just a few of the many ways you can help others be more effective in managing their health care and in getting the vital help they need to improve their physical and mental health.
Here’s a question: What else can you do to help others navigate the health care system more effectively? Please leave a comment. Also, please subscribe to my blog and feel free to follow me on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram, “like” my Facebook page, or connect on LinkedIn. Finally, if you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend.