You might think that you are capable of taking care of yourself and your loved ones, but when illness strikes (and you are in physical and emotional turmoil) the truth is that you need someone by your side to watch out for your best interests and to make sure that medical errors, hospital-acquired infections, medication mistakes, and other oversights do not happen to you and your loved ones. At the very least, you need a health care navigator to help you understand what your diagnosis is and why you need certain tests and procedures (and to make sure that you do not undergo unnecessary procedures or treatments).
It is hard enough dealing with serious illness without also being the victim of medical errors/oversights and hospital-acquired infections. Your health care navigator will vigilantly monitor your medical caregivers to ensure their compliance with all safety protocols, and will speak up on your behalf when something just does not “feel right.” The mere presence of your health care navigator at your hospital bedside, or at your home when a visiting nurse is present, will provide an extra incentive for health care professionals to behave in accordance with the highest standards, and therefore will provide an extra layer of safety for you and your loved ones.
You may think that the scenarios described in the Patient Stories section could never happen to you or your loved ones, but they certainly can. When we are emotionally traumatized by illness, we need someone to trust, someone we can count on. We often put our trust in doctors and nurses. Unfortunately, doctors and nurses are human, and they have hundreds of patients to deal with; they are often over-worked and sleep deprived. We think we can handle whatever comes our way, but the truth is that illness changes our lives and diminishes our abilities to cope.
Instead, when illness strikes, we urge you to
put your trust and faith in your health care navigator, whose only concern will be YOU. Your health care navigator will dedicate 100% of his/her time, energy, thought and attention to YOU and ONLY YOU. Having a
health care navigator could mean the difference between being a successful patient and being an uninformed patient who feels lost and confused.
Having a health care navigator could also mean the difference between life and death.
For those of you who are currently healthy, you also need a health care navigator to make sure you STAY healthy. Let Health Care Navigators be the ones to find you the best doctor in town, book your doctors’ appointments, create wellness plans for you to follow, and collect and address important family medical history and genetic predispositions. Let Health Care Navigators be the ones to wait on hold for hours as we negotiate with your health insurance company or dispute medical bills on your behalf. Do not waste your valuable time—delegate these mundane (yet crucial) tasks to your health care navigator. And if you are an employer, you will see an increase in productivity at your company when your employees’ health care needs are addressed. So do not delay in hiring a health care navigator to advocate for your employees, freeing them to do the job that you hired them for.
If
you are an international client who has left your home country, or an out-of-state client who has left your home state, then you are at an even greater disadvantage.
Not only do you have to deal with the logistical, emotional, and financial issues that all patients must face, but you must also cope with the trauma of being in a new city or country. You will need to find suitable
accommodations, learn how to get around in a new environment, and deal with the inevitable isolation that comes from being far away from family and friends.
Your health care navigator will be invaluable, serving as your advocate and your tour guide, and making sure that your every need is met—including addressing the cultural or religious differences that could interfere with your medical care if they are ignored. Let Health Care Navigators ease your transition into your new environment and coordinate all of your needs, so that YOU can focus solely on regaining your health. YOUR peace of mind and the recovery of your health is OUR ONLY business, so don’t get lost in the medical maze! Let your health care navigator help guide you through it, ensuring that you will be the most successful patient that you can be.
I would highly recommend Health Care Navigators to anyone seeking assistance maneuvering through our complicated health care system.
Adnan O., Boston, MA
Please contact us and let us help you, your loved ones, or your employees to become the most successful patient(s) you/they can be.
