http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advocacy
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Advocacy by an individual or by an advocacy group normally aim to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an asset of interest. Advocacy can include many activities that a person or organization undertakes including media campaigns, public speaking, commissioning and publishing research or poll or the ‘filing of friend of the court briefs’. Lobbying (often by Lobby groups) is a form of advocacy where a direct approach is made to legislators on an issue which plays a significant role in modern politics.[1]
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_advocacy
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A patient advocate acts as a liaison between patients and Health Care Providers to help improve or maintain a high quality of health care for the patients. The terms patient advocate and patient advocacy have a broad range of usage and may be applied to the actions of many different individuals and organizatons. The patient advocate may be an individual or an organization. Patient advocacy organizations are often non-profit and focus on one aspect of health care or a specific disease. There are also governmental agencies that study and ensure compliance with government regulations or help individuals get information, financial aid, or help with interventions to allow improved health care for the individual. Some patient advocates work for the institutions that are directly responsible for the patient’s care. Many health care professionals see themselves as advocates for their patients. In any case, the Patient Advocate is a vital instrument to both patient and physician in the optimal delivery of health care. There is currently no curriculum, certification or standards for becoming a patient advocate. A Patient Advocate need not be in the health care profession and may simply be a concerned citizen, supportive neighbor, friend or family to listen, take notes and help the patient communicate, understand, remember and cope with an often confusing and fearful process.
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- Awareness
- Organized data collection
- Roster of Doctors and Pharmacy information
- Drug lists (including brand name and generic name, dosages in plain speak, who ordered when, who stopped it when, why is it being taken specifically)
- Readings and Lab Reports
- Itemization of major events with description
- Injections, Immunizations, Transfusions, Infusions, and Procedures
- Ledger for medical expenses
- Correspondence
- Archive for all of the above
It’s import to keep authentic holographic notes in a bound book. You need some type of a numbering system to refer to document into your bound book. The exception to the hearsay rule is recrods kept in the normal course of events.
As far as litigation is concerned, fuhgeddaboudit! (translation from the Brooklyn dialect: “forget about it” with a sneer.) Unless they have killed you or crippled you for life, it’s just not worth the effort and expense.
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Reinke Faces Life 