04 01 2006 11:49:8
Ten Essential Qualities of Real Patient Advocacy Groups
«(How to Tell the Difference Between Real Advocates And Industry Front Organizations!) 1. Acknowledge Problems are Common 2. Willingness to Listen and Believe 3. Provide Full Information re: Standards of Care and Regulations 4. Do Not Allow Industry Agencies or Groups as Members 5. Will Admit There Are Illegal Activities in Health Care Agencies 6. Won't Just Tell You to Work It Out with Agency (You already tried that or you wouldn't need help!) 7. Don't Accept Donations from the Health Care Industry 8. Willingness to Help You File Complaint With Government if Appropriate 9. Encourage You to Seek Expert Legal Counsel When Needed 10. Willing to Publicly Speak Out Against Abuses in Health Care Introduction There are many organizations that represent themselves as "patient advocacy" groups. Spokesmen for these groups say that they promote quality health care and they are there to help you. How do you know the authentic patient advocate from the industry front organization? How w!
ould you know if they will actually help you or simply waste your time or worse? If you don't find the following 10 characteristics in that organization, run the other way, because they not only will not help you, but they may also hamper your efforts to get justice or the care the patient needs. Patient advocacy would not be necessary if the message of the health care industry is accurate. Health care industry representatives would have the public believe that there are no serious problems stemming from the highest level of administration in health care agencies. They blame problems on employees and on lack of funding. At the same time, top administrators are paid in the millions of dollars or hundreds of thousands of dollars. At the same time, employees toil in great distress in under staffed facilities, shouldering a burden or case load that is beyond one person's abilities. Administrators of agencies consciously choose to under staff facilities or services so that profi!
t is maximized for those at the top or shareholders in the for!
-profit
health care corporations.»...
Source: http://www.hospicepatients.org | Source Status
