Helene M. Epstein
Tips
What Is a Patient Advocate, and How Can They Help Me?
Navigating the U.S. healthcare system can be scary and confusing. You may ask yourself, “Am I getting the best care for my current medical need?” or “Should I get a second opinion?” You may wonder if a prescribed treatment is necessary or if an expensive prescription is worth the price. You might even struggle to understand your medical bills or wonder how you’re going to pay for therapy.
At times like these, you could use a champion — someone to support you through your healthcare journey. That someone goes by the title “patient advocate.”
Women Are Calling Out ‘Medical Gaslighting’
By Melinda Wenner Moyer
for The New York Times
Studies show female patients and people of color are more likely to have their symptoms dismissed by medical providers. Experts say: Keep asking questions.
This annual Top 10 list helps health care organizations identify imminent patient safety challenges. To select the Top 10, ECRI and their affiliate, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), analyzed a wide scope of data.
The List for 2022
1. Staffing shortages
2. COVID-19 effects on healthcare workers’ mental health
3. Bias and racism in addressing patient safety
4. Vaccine coverage gaps and errors
5. Cognitive biases and diagnostic error
6. Nonventilator healthcare-associated pneumonia
7. Human factors in operationalizing telehealth
8. International supply chain disruptions
9. Products subject to emergency use authorization
10. Telemetry monitoring