Given a diagnosis that just doesn’t seem right for you? Maybe your symptoms don’t add up to what your doctor told you? Or…maybe you were diagnosed with a rare disease and not offered much treatment or support.  If this sounds all too familiar, then continue reading…

Sadly, this happens far too often.  Why? Well, there are many reasons why this may occur:

1. Medicine is an art, and doctors and other healthcare providers use examination and tests to lead to a diagnosis that best fits the puzzle. Sometimes the answer is not exactly black and white. Every human is unique, and many times so are their symptoms. Patients do not always fit the diagnostic algorithm.  

2. The demands of today’s fast-paced healthcare system leave little time for healthcare providers to spend hours investigating each patient’s unique case to figure out the best outcome.  Unfortunately, office visits are often crunched into 15 minutes or fewer timeframes, patients are squeezed in last-minute, perhaps double-booked, and don’t forget short-staffed facilities. The struggle is real! Even when healthcare providers want to dedicate the extra time to dig deep into your specific case, the healthcare system logistics make it nearly impossible.  While some hospitals do have scheduled meetings where challenging cases are discussed among specialists, this does not happen in all hospitals, and is especially rare in primary care offices. While patients may be referred when necessary to the appropriate specialists in the area of need, this does not always happen.

3. The complexity of medicine is another reason that misdiagnosis occurs or rare disorders are inadequately managed. There are constant ongoing advances in technology and research, and new diagnoses are being discovered.  It is essentially impossible for every healthcare provider to keep up with each and every advancement. 

How It Affects You, The Patient
Despite the many reasons why people get misdiagnosed or undermanaged, the end results are essentially the same.  The patient is often left with feelings of defeat, exasperation, exhaustion, abandonment, anhedonia, and depression.  Any one of these alone is a horrible feeling. So what do you do?? This is where a private patient advocate can help.

What is a Private Patient Advocate

A private patient advocate is an experienced healthcare professional who provides unbiased assistance to help navigate your path to better health and achieve your personal goals. A private patient advocate does not work for an insurance company or hospital; therefore, their priority is you.     

How can a Private Patient Advocate help in a situation of misdiagnosis or rare diagnosis?

A private patient advocate can help in several ways.  To highlight just a few:

Finding the right care
At Pathway Patient Advocates, you have access to not 1 but 2 patient advocates; therefore, your advocates are experienced not only in the medical aspect of healthcare but also in the administrative side, including insurance and billing.  The experienced patient advocates can help you locate providers and resources that can help address your specific situation best, as well as in the most cost-efficient way for you.

Experience
It is important to find a private patient advocate who has experience in advocating for patients who have been misdiagnosed or have a rare disorder.  Advocates with this experience may have already had clients similar to you and have increased knowledge of the situation.  

Saving time and money
With an atypical diagnosis, time is of the essence. Often, the sooner you can find a proper diagnosis and good management plan, the better chance you will have in managing symptoms, treatment, and quality of life.  A private patient advocate can efficiently help you find the resources that you need, as they have the process and tools required to do so. This, in the end, will save you both money and, more importantly, time.  

Personal Support
With a private patient advocate, you are not going through this challenge alone.  A private patient advocate is here for you to walk side-by-side and assist you through your path. Even if you are fortunate enough to have family or friends by your side, it is comforting to know that you have your very own private patient advocate with you looking out for your best interests. Your private patient advocate can take some worry away from you, so that you can spend quality time with the people and things you enjoy doing. The healthcare system is challenging, but you don’t have to go through it alone.