How To Be A Health Advocate For Yourself And Other

Health advocacy, both for yourself and for your loved ones, is an extremely important skill. But sadly, it’s one that not enough people actually practice. A fact that can lead to a variety of negative manifestations, such as…

• People not being taken seriously in medical settings, and therefore, not getting the treatment they need.

• People being put on a treatment plan that isn’t optimized for them and their needs. Or sometimes even receiving treatment that harms them instead.

• And people not fully understanding their own health, to the point they just rely on what others tell them and don’t have their own bodily autonomy.

I’ve personally experienced, or watched loved ones experience, all of those things and more. So this topic is one that’s near and dear to my heart. Especially as a mother. Which is why I want to talk about health advocacy for the first post of 2024.

What does being a health advocate look like?

Being a health advocate can be summed up as being someone who asks questions, takes notes, and is actively involved in the doctor’s appointments or hospital visits of the patient in question.

This person could be anyone that the patient trusts. Family, friends, professional caregivers, etc… could all be examples of a health advocate. And in some cases, people can even be their own health advocate! But that does depend on the person, and their current health situation.

It’s also worth noting that every parent should be their child’s health advocate by default until they reach adulthood.

Who could benefit from having a health advocate?

Everyone should have a health advocate, even if it is themselves. But the following groups of people could benefit from having an external health advocate…

Elderly People - When people get older they usually start to have more health problems, and additionally, their comprehension of those health problems might go down. Especially if they don’t have a doctor who’s willing to truly make sure they understand what they’re being told.

My parents are a great example of this. My father, before he passed away, had a lot of health issues. And even though my mother was always at his appointments with him, neither one of them had a full understanding of what was going on.

So I would step in quite a bit and explain things to the best of my ability, and this helped them to feel more in control of their own health.

My mother still shares things like her lab work results, her medications, and surgeries her doctor’s suggest with me. And I carefully walk her through what everything means, so she can feel more empowered to make her own decisions.

Children & Teens - Younger children and even teens might have a similar issue with fully understanding what’s happening at the doctor. 

And, even though their parents are often the ones who are making decisions alongside the doctor anyway, I still think it’s important to explain things to them. That way, they’re getting used to learning about their own health from an early age.

Additionally, it’s important that parents advocate for their children since they can’t advocate for themselves!

For instance, when my oldest daughter was a toddler, she developed pneumonia. The doctors at the hospital didn’t initially think anything serious was wrong, but I made sure to push for more tests. And that was the only reason she was diagnosed so swiftly. Otherwise, we would’ve been sent home.

Similar situations have arisen with my youngest daughter during her epilepsy journey, and it’s only strengthened my resolve to be an advocate for her!

People With Chronic Health Conditions - Lastly, people with chronic health conditions can often benefit from having a personal advocate. Because the more complicated someone’s health journey is, the harder it is to keep track of things on your own.

It’s especially important if the health condition (or the medication used to treat it) comes with mental health ramifications that could affect someone’s ability to process information.

Tips For Being A Better Health Advocate…

Now that we’ve covered why health advocacy is so important, let’s talk about some ways that you can do it effectively. Whether you’re advocating for someone else, or for yourself.

Educate Yourself - Learning about your own health and everything that goes along with it is always important! Whether it be researching how to improve and maintain your health, looking into conditions you may have, or learning about medications you’re on.

But knowing this information can also come handy when advocating for yourself at the doctor. And likewise, if you’re going to be someone else’s health advocate, you should learn everything you can about their health.

Prepare Beforehand - If there’s anything you can do before a doctor’s visit to feel more confident and collected, then you should do it.

This could look like making a list of talking points, concerns, and questions you want to cover with your health provider. (If you’re advocating for someone else then you could make this list together.)\

It could also be something as simple as scheduling your appointment for a time of day that you prefer. If you feel sharper in the morning then make it for 10 AM, but if you feel sluggish until the afternoon… make it for 3 PM. Etc…

Take Notes And Write Summaries - Once you arrive at the doctor’s office, you need to take plenty of notes so that you can refer back to them later. This is helpful so that you don’t forget anything. And, in the case of advocating for someone else, it allows you to go over the notes with them later and make sure they fully understand everything.

Some people even go so far as to record the conversation, so they don’t have to bother with notes. But you’ll need to check your state or country’s laws before you take that step, because some places will require you to ask your doctor for permission first.

But in addition to gathering as much information as you can through notes or recordings, it’s also best to be sure that you “summarize” everything with your doctor before you leave. That way you can make sure there are no misunderstandings.

Know When To Make A Change - The final aspect of being a health advocate, for yourself at least, is to know when to change doctors or other medical providers. This also applies if you’re advocating for your child, because they’re not legally able to make those decisions yet.

But the truth is, not all healthcare providers are created equal. And not every doctor will fit with every patient. So if you truly feel you’re not being heard, consider trying out a different provider!