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Informative Article | Health Economics | India | Volume 11 Issue 1, January 2022 | Rating: 5.1 / 10
Critical Role of Family Member or Patient Advocate of a Patient Admitted to Hospital or LTC
Santosh S Deshmukh
Abstract: There were over 35 million hospital admissions in the United States in 2015. Due to the increasing elderly population, this number may shoot up in the near future. When a patient with a chronic illness is treated in the hospital or Long - Term Care (LTC) facility or rehabilitation center; the role of the patient caretaker or advocate is very crucial in ensuring the well - being, comfort, and effective management of the patient's health. Irrespective of the treatment and medical services provided in such facilities, the goal of the caretaker should be to ensure the Quality of Life of the patient during the treatment duration. The focus should always be insisting on ?patient - centric care?. This article explains the importance of the patient advocate/ caretaker role and the significance of ?patient - centric care?. However, this article also discusses the situations and challenges for caretakers. The reference ?caretaker? here in this article refers to a person from a family member and not someone from a care facility.
Keywords: Healthcare, Caretaker, Patient Centric Care, Patient - Centered Care, HIPAA, Communication, Hospital Management
Edition: Volume 11 Issue 1, January 2022,
Pages: 1607 - 1610