Individual
Advocacy
Navigating the Medical System
Advocating for yourself within the
medical system will involve being aware of how the system is structured
and what kinds of problems you will encounter. Waiting lists, referral
rules and changes to the healthcare system may be frustrating but you
will need to be patient and informed. You will encounter a number of different
health care professionals and you should be aware of what services they
can offer you.
Medical Professionals
•Family
Doctor
•Specialist
Knowing What To Do
•When you need to see a doctor
•Before your visit
•During
your visit
•Following
your visit
Health Care Insurance
•Co-ordination
and Consistancy
•Be
organized
Medical Professionals
Family
Doctor
Your family doctor is a general practitioner - that is, he/she is able
to look after your general medical problems. He/she takes care of and
often has the best understanding of your overall health. Usually, the
doctor is someone you have been with a long time. He/she also usually
treats other members of your family. For these reasons, your family doctor
plays a significant role in your health care.
If you do not have a family doctor, you should find out which doctors
in your area are taking new patients and you should schedule an appointment
to see one.
If you have general health problems or need regular check-ups, you should
see your family doctor. It is important that you are comfortable with
the doctor so that you can avoid switching later. Consistency is an important
factor in getting proper health care. When looking for a new doctor, consider
talking to others for their suggestions. If you do switch doctors, you
will need to make sure your medical history is forwarded to your new doctor.
Your family doctor is also your first contact when you require special
treatment or information for a specific disability or illness. In order
to see a specialist you will need a referral from your family doctor.
Your family doctor can also fill out forms for you, write letters and
advocate on your behalf when necessary.
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Specialist
A specialist is a doctor
who has a specific area of medical expertise. For example, a neurologist
has specialized medical knowledge when it comes to nerves and the nervous
system. It is unlikely that a doctor will be a specialist in more than
one area because of the education and training that is involved in acquiring
a specialty. You may have to see more than one specialist depending on
your condition.
To see a specialist, you will require a referral from your family doctor,
even if the specialist requests that you come back. If your specialist
actually books the follow up appointment at the time of your last visit,
then you will not need a referral from your family doctor. Examples of
specialists that require referrals include:
- rehabilitation specialists
- neurologists
- oncologists
- cardiologists
The role of a specialist is
to treat you in relation to a specific illness or disability. Only specialists
can prescribe some medications. For example, if you have multiple sclerosis,
your neurologist will be the individual with whom you would discuss drug
therapies, and he/she will be the doctor who can prescribe them. He/she
does not become your family doctor and you should not see a specialist
for general health concerns.
The challenge with seeing a specialist is that because he/she does not
know your overall health, you may need to spend time discussing other
aspects of your life and your health with the specialist. It is important
that the specialist understands how your disability affects your life.
Another challenge with specialists is that it will take much longer to
get appointments with them. It can take as long as several months to see
a specialist.
Your specialist may also fill out forms or write letters for you. You
will need to decide which doctor can give the best information on you
and your disability in this case.
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Knowing What To Do
In
recent years there have been many changes to the medical system
and such changes will continue to occur. In order to make your
visit to the doctor as productive as possible, you have a responsibility
to be proactive. The following suggestions should help you make
the most out of the medical services provided.
When
you need to see a doctor or specialist.
- Make an appointment as soon as possible. Some clinics have
a walk-in option.
-
Try to schedule your appointment to allow for waiting time,
especially if it takes awhile to get an appointment with the
doctor.
-
State the reasons for your visit and if you need more time
than usual to discuss a problem. If you prefer not to give
the reason for your visit say "it's personal" but indicate
if it's a new or an old problem.
-
Let them know if you expect the doctor to see more than one
family member (to better schedule the time).
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Before
your visit.
- Check to see if the doctor is on time, especially if you
are on a tight schedule.
- If you will be delayed or need to cancel, you should call
beforehand.
- Some offices will charge you a fee if you do not call ahead
and cancel an appointment within a certain amount of time.
- Have someone go with you if you need assistance or support
during the visit.
- Write down specific points or questions that you want to
discuss.
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During
your visit.
- Ask the receptionist if your appointment will be delayed.
If you are unable to wait, reschedule another visit.
Inform the receptionist of changes in your personal information
(e.g.,, address, phone number, next of kin, marital status).
- At the beginning of your appointment, briefly list all your
health concerns.
- Describe your symptoms, whom you've seen about them and
any treatment or tests taken as a result.
- Listen carefully to the diagnosis and advice. Write down
the most important points.
- If you are feeling rushed, uncomfortable or if you don't
know or understand something, SPEAK UP and ask your doctor
to explain it again.
- It may be helpful to repeat in your own words what you think
he/she said.
- If you don't think you can follow your doctor's advice you
need to say so and explain why (e.g.,, personal beliefs, fear,
lack of money).
- If you are uncomfortable making a decision about treatment,
ask for more information or discuss the benefits of a second
opinion.
- Be clear about instructions before leaving - test results,
recommended follow-up and who to contact if you have questions.
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Following
your visit.
- Book tests or follow-up appointments right away.
- If you need a prescription, ask your pharmacist for advice
and information on the drug and its side-effects.
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Health
Care Insurance
Part
of understanding how to make the most out of the medical services
available to you, is understanding your health care insurance.
When you have a disability, different provisions will apply
to you and your family. You may be able to obtain coverage for
aids and assistive devices but you will have to apply and provide
medical proof of your disability.
Co-ordination
and Consistency
When you are seeing multiple doctors, it will be a challenge
to co-ordinate all the information you get. However, it is important
that each of doctors understands what the others are doing.
It will be up to you to make sure they are informed, as doctors
are very busy people. You have the responsibility to ensure
you are receiving the best health care possible.
Where you require assistance in filling out forms (e.g.,, for
income support) you will need to make sure the doctors are consistent
in the information they provide. They need to be consistent
not only among themselves but with you as well. Often, when
a patient has not conveyed the functional limitations of their
disability to their doctor, the doctor cannot provide the medical
support required for successful applications. The person with
a disability may describe a problem or limitation on their application
but the medical information does not indicate the same problems
or limitations. It is important that your doctor knows how your
disability is affecting your ability to work and perform daily
living activities, as well as the overall quality of your life.
You can guide your doctors when it comes to providing information
on forms.
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Be
Organized
When you need to submit medical information and other documentation
to apply for programs and services, you will need to keep your
information organized. It is very important that you:
- answer
all questions
- keep
copies of all the information you submit
- write
down information given to you by phone or in person
- make
note of when you speak to people, their names and their position
- make
note of when you submit your application
- make
note of the date you receive any correspondence/documentation
- know
the timelines and follow-up if processing is overly delayed
Often, when in a hurry to get applications in, people forget
to do these small things. However, taking a little extra time
to make sure your application is complete, and that you have
documented everything, can make the difference in a successful
application/appeal. If your application is not properly filled
out, then this will delay processing and may reflect poorly
on you. If you cannot fill out an application, you can always
request assistance. If you do use help, be sure to make note
of this on your application.
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