Become your own best advocate in the healthcare system
Written by Tom Varghese
Self-advocacy means speaking up for yourself, making your own choices about your life, learning how to get information so that you can understand things that are interesting to you, finding out who will support you in your journey, and reaching out to others when you need help and friendship. It also involves knowing your rights and responsibilities, solving problems, listening, and learning, developing self-determination.
A growing emphasis on patient self-advocacy has recently emerged in the public discourse. This discourse shapes patients’ conceptualisations about self-advocacy and in turn influences their healthcare attitudes and behaviours.
In healthcare interactions, advocating for yourself may mean voicing concerns about a proposed course of treatment, asking about alternatives to a given procedure or surgery, or asking your doctor to summarise what they've told you to make sure you understand next steps.
Speaking up can be a hard thing to do. It’s very scary at times, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. When speaking up for yourself, remember that effective and respectful communication is important for successful advocacy. Regardless of your communication method (spoken words, sign language, assistive technology, etc.) the key is to make yourself heard, however you are able.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but both patient advocates and healthcare providers recognise that the most effective care you can receive is when you and your provider make decisions together. This is because what works and makes sense for one patient may not be the best approach for you. A “one size” really doesn’t fit everyone.
When you share decision-making with your healthcare provider, it’s called a patient-centered approach. You need to advocate for your own specific values, goals, and preferences. That way your healthcare provider can better understand your needs and develop a plan specifically tailored to you. It’s important to remember that you have an absolute right to clear, up-to-date, accurate, and unbiased information about your health.
In New Zealand, independent advocates from the Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service are available to provide free education sessions that relate to the Code of Rights, the role of the Advocacy Service in supporting or guiding resolution between the parties, and the Health and Disability Commissioner’s functions.
