What resources support patient engagement and self-advocacy?

Patient portals stand out as a vital resource in promoting patient engagement and self-advocacy. These secure online platforms grant patients direct access to their health information, including lab results, medication lists, appointment schedules, and communication with healthcare providers. By utilizing patient portals, individuals can actively monitor their health, manage their care, and maintain open lines of communication with their healthcare team. Case managers play a crucial role in encouraging patients to use these portals, providing guidance on how to navigate them effectively, thus empowering patients to take charge of their healthcare journey.

Resources supporting patient engagement and self-advocacy include educational websites, support groups, patient portals, advocacy organizations, health literacy tools, and patient navigators or advocates that provide information, support, and guidance.

Health literacy is a fundamental component that influences a patient's ability to engage with and advocate for their health care. It encompasses the skills needed to understand and utilize health information and services effectively. Enhancing health literacy can significantly impact patient confidence and their capacity to communicate effectively with healthcare professionals. Case managers can bolster health literacy by simplifying complex medical information, employing visual aids, and ensuring patients fully comprehend their health status and the healthcare options available to them, thereby enabling informed decision-making.

Resources include educational materials, support groups, digital health tools, patient portals, advocacy organizations, healthcare provider consultations, and tailored care plans to empower patients in their healthcare journey.

Peer support offers invaluable emotional, informational, and practical assistance, facilitated by individuals with shared health experiences. This form of support can be particularly empowering, as it provides patients with a sense of community, empathy, and shared knowledge. Case managers can facilitate access to peer support groups or networks, which can serve as a platform for exchanging personal stories, coping strategies, and resources, further enhancing patient engagement and advocacy for their own health.

We cannot provide support and advocate for patients without connecting them to peer support communities that provide significant help in building self-confidence, empower patient and help build mutual exchange of coping strategies that lead to a process of recovery. - sense of belonging - new coping mechanism - foster engagement

Shared decision making fosters a collaborative approach to healthcare, where patients and providers work together to make informed decisions that align with the patient's values and preferences. This process empowers patients by involving them directly in their care planning and treatment choices. Case managers can support this approach by employing decision aids, engaging in motivational interviewing, and setting realistic health goals, thus reinforcing the patient's role in their healthcare decisions.

Self-management education refers to programs or interventions designed to help individuals take an active role in managing their own health conditions. These programs typically provide information, skills training, and support to help individuals better understand their condition, adhere to treatment plans, make healthy lifestyle choices, and cope with the challenges of living with a chronic illness or health condition. Examples include diabetes self-management education, asthma self-management programs, and chronic pain management programs.

Self-management education programs are designed to equip patients with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively manage their chronic conditions. By participating in these programs, patients can improve their self-efficacy, leading to better self-care practices, improved health outcomes, and reduced healthcare costs. Case managers can facilitate access to these evidence-based programs, tailored to specific conditions like diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, thereby promoting patient engagement and self-advocacy.

Advocacy organizations play a pivotal role in supporting patient engagement and self-advocacy by providing resources, education, and support for individuals with specific health conditions. These organizations also champion policy changes and improvements within the healthcare system to better meet the needs of patients. Case managers can collaborate with these organizations to enhance patient care, providing patients with access to additional resources and support networks.

With the advancement of Digital health, wearables and others monitoring devices, that makes patients be more involved and do self-monitoring at home, that can be received in hospital settings too, to be analyzed for health care team. This gives more control, especially of NCD. In Oral health, oral wearables, make more conscious of the state of oral health, habits and enhance compromise of the patients, when it can be visualized. SORA by Open Ai, for sure will be another engagement tool for patients.

I recommend reading Empowering Patients: A Guide to Enhancing Patient Self-Advocacy Skills from Global Training Solutions. It's a great resource to help individuals navigate their healthcare more effectively. I found it very informative and empathetic, providing knowledge and the tools necessary to guide patients in becoming informed, proactive advocates for their own health.