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I'm fairly new on this site. What is a Patient Champion? Are there any out there?

needhelp wrote:I'm fairly new on this site. What is a Patient Champion? Are there any out there?

I am one who speaks at seminars. I can message you my phone number.

HI,
A patient champion is the same as a patient advocate. When I had my implant done in Huston there was an advocate assigned to me. She was with me every step of the surgery process. She met with my wife and I pre-op, went to surgery with me and kept my wife updated.

Now for what the champion/advocate is. Normally this is medically trained person, normally an RN, that goes with you on your journey. They should not be associated with your Dr. directly. They are there to help you ask and get answers to your questions. They are there to basically use there knowledge to protect your interest.

Hope this helps.

Piddlin wrote:HI,
A patient champion is the same as a patient advocate. When I had my implant done in Huston there was an advocate assigned to me. She was with me every step of the surgery process. She met with my wife and I pre-op, went to surgery with me and kept my wife updated.


Now for what the champion/advocate is. Normally this is medically trained person, normally an RN, that goes with you on your journey. They should not be associated with your Dr. directly. They are there to help you ask and get answers to your questions. They are there to basically use there knowledge to protect your interest.

Hope this helps.

I understood a patient "Champion" to be another Male figure that has experienced an implant prior to you getting yours, that helps give assurance, helps answer questions and concerns and "might" follow you through your implant Journey.

I understood a patient "advocate" ... more as an implant manufacturer employee/ representative, medically trained, possibly an RN , that follows you through your implant journey or helps you after your implant.

Possibly I'm wrong, but those are my personal understandings.

Larry ... ???

Just a question then, How does one get assigned a patient advocate.

SW0110 wrote:Just a question then, How does one get assigned a patient advocate.

As "piddlin" stated, "He had one assigned to him"; possibly through his doctor, the hospital, insurance or the manufacturer themselves; I dunno.

Hopefully he will elaborate upon that.

From my experience you must luck into one somehow, because it doesn't appear to be an industry wide, standardized procedure. "Decide upon an implant, automatically, gain an advocate."

Most on here didn't seem to have one. I know I didnt.

AMS assigned a Rep as part of my team, my guardian angel. Saw her twice for a few seconds before my surgery never before never after. She did answer questions for weeks prior to help me understand what to expect. I told her I would never consent to implant surgery if I did not get 100% assurance that my tips would be perfectly even. She said the Doctor is an excellent surgeon, his measurements are exact and she would make the prosthesis within 1 mm of his measurements. Well he was an excellent surgeon and she did make the prosthesis within 1 mm of his measurements but she knew that his measurements could never be exact because the implant only comes in 1/2 cm increments. I guess she figured that I would never notice. Turned out that my uneven fit caused distal crossover. OOOPS!!!
Trust me you do not want a patient advocate.

justanotherdrumber wrote:

Piddlin wrote:HI,
A patient champion is the same as a patient advocate. When I had my implant done in Huston there was an advocate assigned to me. She was with me every step of the surgery process. She met with my wife and I pre-op, went to surgery with me and kept my wife updated.


Now for what the champion/advocate is. Normally this is medically trained person, normally an RN, that goes with you on your journey. They should not be associated with your Dr. directly. They are there to help you ask and get answers to your questions. They are there to basically use there knowledge to protect your interest.

Hope this helps.

I understood a patient "Champion" to be another Male figure that has experienced an implant prior to you getting yours, that helps give assurance, helps answer questions and concerns and "might" follow you through your implant Journey.

I understood a patient "advocate" ... more as an implant manufacturer employee/ representative, medically trained, possibly an RN , that follows you through your implant journey or helps you after your implant.

Possibly I'm wrong, but those are my personal understandings.

Larry ... ???

Yup, that's bang on, Patients Advocates also are asked to speak at seminars..

Larry

justanotherdrumber wrote:

SW0110 wrote:Just a question then, How does one get assigned a patient advocate.

You can ask your urologist if an implant manufacturer has one available in your region. My implant doctor has given out my phone number before as I speak at seminars for a particular manufacturer.

I had a patient champion when I had my implant two years ago......Sir Hungalot…...I highly recommend him......