What are the best ways to work with healthcare providers for optimal patient care?

1 Understand your client's needs and goals

Before you interact with any healthcare provider, you need to have a clear understanding of your client's needs and goals. What are their medical conditions, symptoms, medications, allergies, and preferences? What are their expectations and concerns about their treatment options and outcomes? What are their values and beliefs that may influence their decisions? By knowing your client's needs and goals, you can help them prepare for their appointments, ask relevant questions, and express their opinions.

2 Establish rapport and trust with healthcare providers

To work effectively with healthcare providers, you need to establish rapport and trust with them. This means being respectful, courteous, and professional in your communication. It also means acknowledging their expertise, experience, and perspective, and being open to learning from them. You can build rapport and trust by introducing yourself and your role, explaining your client's situation and needs, listening actively and attentively, and expressing appreciation and gratitude.

3 Collaborate and negotiate with healthcare providers

As a patient advocate, you are not only a communicator, but also a collaborator and a negotiator. You need to work with healthcare providers to find the best solutions for your client's care. This means being assertive, but not aggressive, in advocating for your client's interests and rights. It also means being flexible, but not compromising, in finding common ground and resolving conflicts. You can collaborate and negotiate with healthcare providers by asking open-ended questions, providing feedback and suggestions, seeking clarification and confirmation, and summarizing and documenting agreements.

4 Follow up and monitor your client's care

After you interact with healthcare providers, you need to follow up and monitor your client's care. This means ensuring that your client understands and follows their treatment plan, receives the services and support they need, and reports any changes or problems to their healthcare team. It also means checking in regularly with your client and their healthcare providers, reviewing their progress and outcomes, and evaluating their satisfaction and quality of life. You can follow up and monitor your client's care by providing reminders and encouragement, facilitating referrals and transitions, tracking and updating records, and measuring and reporting results.

5 Learn and improve your skills and competencies

As a patient advocate, you need to learn and improve your skills and competencies to work effectively with healthcare providers. This means staying updated on the latest medical information, policies, and standards that affect your client's care. It also means seeking feedback and guidance from your peers, mentors, and supervisors, and identifying your strengths and areas for improvement. You can learn and improve your skills and competencies by attending training and workshops, reading articles and books, joining networks and associations, and pursuing certification and accreditation.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?