[caption id="attachment_1937" align="alignright" width="150"]<a href="http://www.hormonesoup.com/?attachment_id=1937" rel="attachment wp-att-1937"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1937" alt="Get Help Advocating for Yourself" src="http://www.hormonesoup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Help-Advocating-150x100.jpg" width="150" height="100" /></a> Get Help Advocating for Yourself[/caption]

If you read my blog post,<b> <a title="I Have 3 Words for You…" href="http://www.hormonesoup.com/i-have-3-words-for-you/">"I Have Three Words for You"</a></b> - you'll remember how I talked about my belief that<b> </b>getting proper healthcare means that you must advocate for yourself and become a vital part of your healing team.   But what if your health issues leave you unable to advocate for yourself?  Or, like one of my readers asked me - what if you don’t have the energy or strength to invest in ongoing self-advocacy, what can you do?  It's a valid point and it's easy to feel intimidated while sitting across from your doctor.

Your best strategy may be to enlist the help of someone else to advocate on your behalf.  Have a trusted friend or family member learn about your medical condition and accompany you to appointments. This person can come prepared with a list of questions and issues to address with your health care provider.  Sometimes even the presence of a third party will cause physicians to be more thorough and attentive.  Even though I have an amazing relationship with my doctor I've brought my Beloved into an appointment with me when I was getting test results.  I didn't want to forget any of my questions and wanted an extra set of ears listening for me.  I discovered that it's actually empowering having two people on the opposite side of the doctor!

What if there is no one in your immediate circles that you feel comfortable asking for assistance, or if you feel that your medical issues are too in-depth for a personal ally to take on?  Did you know that you can hire a professional health advocate?  I had no idea this was even a profession until a couple of years ago.  Health advocates are also referred to as a patient advocates and are trained to create a dynamic in which patient-centered care is the main objective!!  It partly amazes me and partly saddens me.  It's sad that our healthcare system is in such a state that a person needs an advocate but I'm delighted that there are professional people out there who can help.

Advocates adhere to a code of conduct that guarantees patient confidentiality. Their main concern is ensuring that your health and safety are the top priority in the care you receive, and that any values or beliefs that are important to you are respected. While they will be a strong ally working on your behalf, their role is one of guidance and support, not making medical decisions on your behalf. You can view the complete code of conduct for Health Advocates <a title="Health Advocate Code" href="http://healthadvocatecode.org/" target="_blank">here</a>.

If you are interested in hiring an advocate, there are many resources available online to help you locate a professional health advocate in your area. One such website is <a title="Advo Connection" href="http://advoconnection.com/" target="_blank">Advo Connection</a>, which offers listing of professionals and a list of books and blogs that can be very helpful. For U.S. residents, <a title="Apha Advocates" href="http://aphadvocates.org/ " target="_blank">The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates</a>  offers a database of its members, and <a title="Patient Matters" href="http://www.patient-matters.com/" target="_blank">Patient Matters</a>  offers many helpful links to resources.

Canada:

<a title="Help With Healthcare" href="http://helpwithhealthcare.ca/" target="_blank">Help with Healthcare</a>

U.K.:

You can access a database of more than 2,000 resources at <a title="Patient.co.uk" href=" http://www.patient.co.uk/directory/patient-advocacy-advice" target="_blank">Patient.co.uk</a>.

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Remember that while your doctor and other healthcare specialists you work with have a degree of professional experience that you don’t, this does not mean that you don’t have valuable information and input that deserves consideration. I often hear about doctors “firing” patients they feel are too much trouble, but this is backwards. They may choose not to work with you, but they can’t fire you. They work for you, not the other way around. When is the last time a doctor paid you for an appointment? There is a huge difference between expecting to be included in your care and taken serious and being adversarial, and a doctor that has your best interests at heart will welcome you to be a key player in your care. If they don’t, maybe it is time to find a new doctor.

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In the USA: <a title="The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates" href="http://aphadvocates.org/" target="_blank">The Aliiance of Professional Health Advocates</a>   <a title="Patient Matters" href="http://www.patient-matters.com/" target="_blank">Patient Matters</a>       In Canada: <a title="Help with Healthcare" href="http://www.helpwithhealthcare.ca/" target="_blank">Help with Healthcare</a>  http://www.helpwithhealthcare.ca/   To read more about the Code of Conduct <a title="Health Advocate Code of Conduct" href="http://healthadvocatecode.org/" target="_blank">Health Advocates Code of Conduct </a>