What do you do if your resilience as a patient advocate is tested by setbacks?
Patient advocacy is a vital role that involves supporting and empowering individuals as they navigate the healthcare system. As a patient advocate, your resilience can be tested by various setbacks, whether it's dealing with bureaucratic hurdles, facing unexpected health complications, or encountering uncooperative healthcare providers. It's crucial to have strategies in place to maintain your effectiveness and well-being in the face of these challenges.
-
Sophia Zilber 🌺Associate Director, Statistical Programming at Alexion | Board member and patient registry director at Cure Mito…
-
Russ BennettStrategy and Marketing Consultant at Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA)1 Reply
-
Mike HermanMichael Herman, a cancer survivor, now inspires change in healthcare. From battling cancer to sought-after speaker, he…
When setbacks occur, it's natural to feel frustrated or disheartened. Acknowledge these emotions without letting them overpower your commitment to advocacy. It's important to process your feelings, perhaps by discussing them with a colleague or writing them down. This can help you understand what's triggering your stress and enable you to develop a plan to address the issues at hand. Remember, acknowledging emotions is a sign of strength, not weakness, and it's the first step towards regaining your resilience.
-
Sophia Zilber 🌺
Associate Director, Statistical Programming at Alexion | Board member and patient registry director at Cure Mito Foundation | Rare Disease patient advocate
Remember your purpose and why you do what you do. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and support you. Take breaks and take care of yourself. Setbacks make you stronger!
-
Russ Bennett
Strategy and Marketing Consultant at Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA)
The very reason patients need Patient Advocates is that there will be setbacks, that is a given. Patients may find that the scheduling of their treatment is not what they planned, that payors delay, deny, or need more information before approving expected treatments, or that once treatments are received the patient does not have the improvement or recovery that was hoped for. These and many other potential setbacks can dishearten both the patient and his or her advocates. However, a cool-minded evaluation of what has actually caused the setback can often guide the patient and the advocate to another path for treatment. Patients really benefit from the perspective and support of the Patient Advocates. Don't give up, find the way forward!
-
Mike Herman
Michael Herman, a cancer survivor, now inspires change in healthcare. From battling cancer to sought-after speaker, he emphasizes patient-centered care and pharmaceutical research.
Let's approach this with the same resilience and determination we encourage in those we support. Just as we stand by them in their cancer journey, let's persevere in our own path
-
Hamze Salhab
MSF International Mobile Staff Pool | Registered Nurse | Emergency Specialist | Patient Safety Specialist
In my opinion, acknowledging emotions is key when setbacks test your resilience as a patient advocate. By recognizing and accepting your feelings without judgment, you can prevent them from impacting your advocacy. Reflective practices like journaling or mindfulness can help you understand and process your emotions. Seeking support from colleagues or mentors can also provide valuable perspective. Acknowledging emotions is a strength that allows you to confront challenges with honesty and compassion, maintaining your resilience as an advocate.
-
Allan Millar
Health Systems Consultant | Strategic Planner & Policy Advisor | Enhancing Healthcare Access & Equity | Committed to Continuous Learning & Meaningful Conversations
To stay resilient as a patient advocate during tough times, we all need to remember why we started this journey in the first place. This process can reignite our motivation. Other options include leaning on our network for support, adapting a lifelong learning process, and continuously fine-tuning our strategies based on our experiences. Equally important is to manage stress with regular self-care and celebrate every small victory—it all adds up to make a big difference!
No patient advocate should stand alone; seeking support is key. Connect with other advocates or professionals who understand the challenges you face. This network can provide practical advice, emotional support, and different perspectives that can help you overcome setbacks. Whether it's through professional associations, online forums, or local support groups, finding a community that shares your passion for patient advocacy can be an invaluable resource during tough times.
-
Caryl Harris
Being a member of larger umbrella organizations can really help individual advocates or smaller advocacy organizations when setbacks occur, and they will happen. Support and community are key when looking for solutions.
-
Hamze Salhab
MSF International Mobile Staff Pool | Registered Nurse | Emergency Specialist | Patient Safety Specialist
In my opinion, seeking support is crucial when facing setbacks as a patient advocate. It's important to reach out to colleagues, mentors, or support groups for guidance and encouragement. By sharing your experiences with others who understand the challenges of advocacy, you can gain valuable perspective and find new ways to approach difficult situations. Additionally, seeking support can help prevent feelings of isolation and burnout, allowing you to maintain your resilience and continue advocating effectively.
Setbacks might mean it's time to reassess your goals. Take a step back and evaluate whether your current approach is still viable or if you need to adjust your strategies. This might involve setting more realistic timeframes, re-prioritizing tasks, or even shifting your focus to better align with the patient's needs and the realities of the healthcare system. Flexibility in goal-setting is a hallmark of a resilient advocate.
Resilience is closely tied to well-being, so making self-care a priority is essential. Ensure you're getting enough rest, eating well, staying active, and engaging in activities that recharge your batteries. It's not selfish to take care of yourself; it's necessary. A well-rested, healthy advocate is more effective and better equipped to handle the emotional toll of patient advocacy.
Every setback is an opportunity to learn and adapt. Reflect on what went wrong and why, and consider what could be done differently in the future. Perhaps there's a need for additional training or education in a certain area, or maybe it's about developing new strategies to navigate the healthcare system. Adapting your approach based on past experiences can strengthen your advocacy and prevent similar setbacks in the future.
Finally, maintaining perspective is crucial. Remember why you became a patient advocate in the first place and the successes you've had along the way. Recognize that setbacks are part of the journey and not indicative of failure. By keeping the bigger picture in mind, you can find the motivation to continue advocating for those who need it most, despite the obstacles you may face.
-
Melissa VanHouten
Patient Advocate
"Success" is often difficult to define in the advocacy world. We sometimes feel pressure to engage at unrealistic levels or make monumental advancements, and we view anything short of this as failure. But this all-or-nothing approach is not very realistic. We must learn to see our smaller-than-hoped-for gains as genuine progress and celebrate even small steps forward in our seemingly uphill battle. We are not failures just because progress is slow.
Rate this article
More relevant reading
-
Patient AdvocacyWhat do you do if your demanding career in Patient Advocacy leaves no time for self-care?
-
Patient AdvocacyHow can you help patients feel comfortable asking for help?
-
Patient AdvocacyYou’re leading a team in patient advocacy. What are the most common challenges you’ll face?
-
Patient AdvocacyWhat do you do if patient advocacy becomes emotionally overwhelming while maintaining professionalism?