Today’s healthcare environment is complex and requires increased patient responsibility to negotiate various systems, make decisions about health, and follow therapeutic plans. Everyone is at risk of difficulty navigating the healthcare system in situations of extreme stress such as receiving news of a life-threatening diagnosis.
What is self-advocacy?
Self-advocacy is defined as the ability to communicate, negotiate, or assert one’s preferences, needs, and values. Being able to effectively self-advocate allows you to speak up about your personal preferences, make sure your needs are met, and obtain the power to actively participate in your healthcare decisions.
Self-advocacy involves knowing what your needs are, understanding what type of support you need, and communicating those needs.
DNP, APRN, FNP-C, FAANP
Founding Dean and Professor, Emory & Henry College, School of Nursing
Today’s healthcare system requires patients to take increasingly more responsibility for managing their health.
Rural Health Nursing, Chapter 4, Laurie Anne Ferguson
How to Advocate for Yourself at the Doctors Office
The average time spent during an appointment with a primary care provider is approximately 17 minutes. With limited time spent face-to-face with your healthcare practitioner, how you can maximize your time with them and get the most out of your appointment.
Being able to advocate for yourself with the doctor during visits is an important skill to have. After all, you know your body best, and it’s often up to you to voice your concerns and raise questions for the betterment of your health and well-being.
Why is self-advocacy important?
Self-advocacy enhances patient empowerment and promotes active involvement and shared decision-making (SDM). Research demonstrates that patients who are more involved in the decision-making process related to their treatment plan and overall care are more likely to achieve better health outcomes.
How to be an effective self-advocate
Use the tips below to guide your next visit with your provider.
National Grange Junior & Youth Director
Alamo Grange #1446, TX
- Find a healthcare provider you can trust and communicate with. -Finding a provider who helps you feel safe, comfortable, and understood is a critical first step.
- Come prepared – Prepare for your appointment by first compiling all relevant information pertaining to your health, such as a list of any medications and supplements you’re taking as well as your complete medical history, health habits, and test results from other providers. Taking the time beforehand ensures that you don’t forget to mention something important during your appointment.
Before arriving at your appointment, write down your health concerns, as well as any symptoms you’ve been experiencing.- Make sure to note how and when your concern began.
- What worsens and improves your symptoms.
- What you’re currently doing to reduce your symptoms.
- Educate yourself – Having a good understanding of your condition or health concerns can help you be a more efficient self-advocator. Individuals with higher levels of health literacy, defined as the ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information, are more likely to be engaged in their treatment plan, helping them stay on track to achieve their health goals.
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- Government agencies (e.g., National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Canada)
- Medical schools and hospitals (e.g., Harvard Medical School, Mayo Clinic)
- Online journals and research databases (e.g., PubMed)
- Professional or nonprofit organizations (e.g., Environmental Working Group (EWG), American Heart Association) (6)
- Ask questions – If you have questions regarding your health concerns, symptoms, test results, or treatment plan, don’t hesitate to ask your provider. Be sure to ask for clarification if anything during your visit is unclear.
- Take notes – Bring a pen and notepad, or use a smartphone, to jot down any important information from your visit. This may include new medications and supplements, lifestyle and dietary recommendations, and next steps.
- Speak up – If you have hesitations about your practitioner’s recommendations, don’t be afraid to voice your concerns calmly and politely. Speaking up allows you and your practitioner the opportunity to come to a mutual agreement regarding your treatment plan.
If you’re feeling unheard or finding the answers you’re looking for, don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion from another practitioner.
- Bring a support person – If you’re uncomfortable or unable to communicate your concerns to your practitioner, consider bringing a support person/surrogate, such as a parent, spouse, family member, friend or caregiver, to your visit, they can take notes for you or ask questions on your behalf.
The bottom line
Advocating for yourself in healthcare settings can help you get the most out of your visits. Developing self-advocacy skills isn’t easy, but with some practice, you can come prepared to your next appointment with
Legal Documentation – Needs to be in writing
A health care surrogacy document, often referred to as an “Advance Directive for Health Care” is a legal document, which should be witnessed and notarized, by you (the “Grantor”) which grants specific medical authority to a “Surrogate”.
Fellow, American Academy of Family Physicians, DipABLM, Certified
Lifestyle Medicine Physician, East Hawaii Acute and Rural Health Clinic
Medical Director, Hilo Hawaii Medical Center
An Advance Directive for Healthcare works similar to a Power of Attorney except that it deals exclusively with medical related issues. Some Powers of Attorney include some elements of an Advance Directive for Healthcare, however, for your protection we recommend that these documents be separate.
This document may grant unto the Surrogate specific powers to make medical decisions for you, the Grantor, becomes unable to make decisions yourself. These powers may include authorizing medical treatments, accessing medical records, hiring doctors and specialists, consenting to surgery and more. It is important to note that a well-drafted Advance Directive for Health Care will only give authority to an agent when you are no longer able to make decisions.
An additional health care surrogacy document that should be considered is a “Living Will.” This legal document grants the authority to a Surrogate to make certain end-of-life decisions. Depending on your individual wishes this document will direct and authorize a Surrogate to withhold or implement certain life-prolonging procedures (artificial breathing, artificial heart, dialysis, tube feeding, artificial hydration, etc.) on your behalf. It is important for every individual, regardless of age or infirmity to have a proper Living Will.
This Living Will may be included in the Advance Directive for Health Care or may be a separate document.
These documents should reflect your state requirements for signatures, if witnesses are needed, or notarization, etc.
SHARED DECISION MAKING
Shared decision making occurs when a health care provider and a patient work together to make a health care decision that is best for the patient.
The optimal decision considers evidence-based information about available options, the provider’s knowledge and experience, and the patient’s values and preferences. This may be to select a test or intervention such as going ahead with surgery or not.
In shared decision making, patients and clinicians discuss diagnostic or treatment options, including their effectiveness and their potential benefits and harms.
What are the benefits of shared decision making in health care?
Through shared decision making, providers and patients can thoroughly discuss all possible side effects, outcomes, and treatment options.
Patients who are empowered to make decisions about their health that better reflect their personal preferences often experience more favorable health outcomes such as decreased anxiety, quicker recovery, and increased compliance with treatment regimens.
What is most important in Shared decision making?
Patient involvement is necessary for shared decision making and occurs when patients learn to take responsibility for their own health and solve problems with information and support from professionals.
The importance of decision-making lies in the way it helps you in choosing between various options. Before making a decision, there is a need to gather all available information and to weigh its pros and cons to make the right decisions.
SDM ensures that the individual patient is supported to make decisions that are right for them. It is a collaborative process through which a clinician supports a patient to reach a decision about their treatment.
Contact
Need additional assistance? Contact us:
National Contact: Joan C. Smith
Phone: (571) 662-7220 | Email
This program was partially funded through a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award (EADI #30051). The statements in this website are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), its Board of Governors or Methodology Committee.