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Frequently Asked Questions

1 How does an RN Patient Advocate really help?
2 Does an RNPA only take care of ‘sick ‘ people?
3 How do I know that my RNPA knows what to do?
4 How does my RNPA advocate for me with my physicians?
5 Can an RN Patient Advocate help me with my aging parents? How does this work?
6 How much does this service cost?
7 Will I have to sign anything in order to have an RN Patient Advocate help me?
8 Does insurance pay for this service?
9 How much time does it take for you to get started helping me or my loved one?
10 My insurance company offers an ‘advocate/resource/nurse line’ what is the difference between that and an RN Patient Advocate?
11 How do physicians work with RN Patient Advocates? Do they accept them?
12 Will I have to change doctors?
13 How is Integrative Medicine really going to help me?
14 Do you work for doctors? Hospitals?
15 Can an RNPA help my friend/neighbor?
 
   
1 How does an RN Patient Advocate really help?
   
  You will not be alone in your healthcare crisis any longer. A knowledgeable and highly experienced clinical RN will stand by your side, asking the questions you do not know how to ask and translating the answers into lay language for you and your family. We provide many services; please refer to the page “RN Patient Advocate Services” for a complete listing.
 
   
2 Does an RNPA only take care of ‘sick ‘ people?
   
  An RN Patient Advocate can serve you when you are acutely ill – protecting your rights and safety – as well as when your illness is chronic. If you are facing surgery or are just diagnosed with a new illness, this is an ideal time to engage an RN Patient Advocate to assist you: before there are problems. An experienced RN Patient Advocate is trained to foresee and anticipate problems before they happen in order to avoid them.
 
   
3 How do I know that my RNPA knows what to do?
   
  Only highly experienced clinical RNs are able to qualify to take course preparing them to be an independent RN Patient Advocate. They must pass the course in order to be certified and then maintain their certification. The certification is through the University of Arizona College of Nursing.
 
   
4 How does my RNPA advocate for me with my physicians?
   
  There are two main elements in a meeting with a physician: what the physician needs to know and what you need to ask to ensure you are getting the best care for you individually. Your RN Patient Advocate ensures that your doctor gets all the necessary information, things you may not think to add. Also, your RN Patient Advocate will ask questions about your care and treatment options that you do not know how to ask. These questions are to protect your rights and safety as a patient as well as to ensure the doctor is considering all necessary facts prior to making treatment decisions.
 
   
5 Can an RN Patient Advocate help me with my aging parents? How does this work?
   
  Protecting and empowering those who cannot help themselves is a crucial role for the RN Patient Advocate. The Advocate can be very helpful with aging parents, particularly if they live at some distance from you. We can do a medication review to ensure that they understand what they are taking as well as to make certain that there are no contraindications to combining them all. Another service is to create the Medical Time Line: a synopsis of all available medical records into a brief document that your parents will take along with them to all their physicians as well as to the ER should there be an emergency. This decreases the chances of medical error greatly and helps the treating physician to make the most appropriate treatment choices. Should your parents have many doctors, your RN Patient Advocate will facilitate communication amongst them. If your parent is not getting any better or seems to be worsening, perhaps it is time to look at other treatment options. Your RN Patient Advocate is expert at helping you do this. Also, if necessary, your RN Patient Advocate can accompany your parent to the doctor’s appointment to ensure that the right questions are being asked. For a more complete list of services, please refer to the page entitled “RN Patient Advocate Services”.
 
   
6 How much does this service cost?
   
  Your RN Patient Advocate generally charges $100/hour. Many Advocates make special arrangements with their patients if necessary. This is the least expensive patient advocacy service at this time.
 
   
7 Will I have to sign anything in order to have an RN Patient Advocate help me?
   
  Your RN Patient Advocate is an independent medical professional. You will need to sign the medical privacy act – HIPAA- form just as you do at the doctor’s office or the hospital. Also, your RN Patient Advocate will ask you to sign a contract in order to be able legally to assist you.
 
   
8 Does insurance pay for this service?
   
  Not at this time. The formulaic model of healthcare as managed by healthcare insurance companies can lead to many of the problems people face with their healthcare. If we accepted their coverage, we would have to curtail our services. Our greatest value is in our independence. Our entire focus at RN Patient Advocates is you. We will be able to bill insurance in future as our program demonstrates cost savings through research studies that we have in place.
 
   
9 How much time does it take for you to get started helping me or my loved one?
   
  There is a screening process over the phone when you first call to see whether an RN Patient Advocate is the best answer for you. This is free of charge. If this looks like a good match, your RN Patient Advocate will make an appointment to get started. The first half hour of this Assessment meeting is free of charge. We can start as soon as you need us.
 
   
10 My insurance company offers an ‘advocate/resource/nurse line’ what is the difference between that and an RN Patient Advocate?
   
  They work for the hospital or the health plan firstly. An independent RN Patient Advocate works only for you. Also, a hospital or insurance based advocate has a very large case load. Your RN Patient Advocate carries a very small caseload to ensure maximal attention to every person.
 
   
11 How do physicians work with RN Patient Advocates? Do they accept them?
   
  Physicians appreciate the role an independent RN Patient Advocate fills as it enhances the work a physician does. An RN Patient Advocate works in a collegial fashion with all physicians, assisting them rather than replacing them.
 
   
12 Will I have to change doctors?
   
  In considering the full range of treatment options, it is sometimes advisable to consult with other physicians. Your RN Patient Advocate will do the search for the best ones in your area and vet them through the State Board of Medicine before giving you their names for consideration.
 
   
13 How is Integrative Medicine really going to help me?
   
  The Human Genome Project taught us many things and opened the door to a vast array of medical research going on all over the planet. Integrative Medicine utilizes the treatments that result from that research. The overarching concern of the Integrative Medicine approach is to uncover the biochemical roots of your disease, not merely to give you medications to alleviate the symptoms. Integrative Medicine physicians work alongside conventional western medicine physicians and must pass the same medical school courses and medical board exams. This focus on uncovering the underlying biochemistry of your illness is especially important with chronic and degenerative disease.
 
   
14 Do you work for doctors? Hospitals?
   
  Your RN Patient Advocate works exclusively for you, advocating for your best well-being with all your health care providers. We work closely with physicians and hospitals, though our emphasis is on you, not on the institutional approach.
 
   
15 Can an RNPA help my friend/neighbor?
   
  An RN Patient Advocate can help anyone with health issues or concerns.
 
 
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