The United States offers arguably the best healthcare in the world. Paradoxically, many times that does not result in finding and receiving the best care, even for people with the means to pay for the latest treatments and with philanthropic relationships to top hospitals...

All of the professionals in our healthcare system struggle under the crushing weight of cost control measures imposed by insurers and medical institutions, which force doctors to minimize the time they spend assessing, treating, and discussing options with patients and their families.

Protecting yourself and your family in an overtaxed healthcare system

The statistics on medical errors, while often quoted, are still disturbing. According to studies by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies, between 44,000 and 98,000 people in the U.S. die every year because of preventable medical errors that occur in hospitals. That means these avoidable mistakes kill more people than breast cancer, traffic accidents, or AIDS, making errors the eighth leading cause of death in the country. The report found that these errors were not the result of individual recklessness on the part of caregivers, but basic flaws in the organization of the American healthcare system.

Another IOM report noted that more than 50% of patients with diabetes, hypertension, tobacco addiction, hyperlipidemia, congestive heart failure, asthma, depression, and chronic atrial fibrillation are being managed inadequately.

Due to cost constraints and resource limitations, doctors are not able to spend adequate time with their patients and do not necessarily have access to information on all available forms of treatment. In addition, when patients see more than one doctor, their care, medical records, and medications are rarely effectively coordinated. The burden of managing treatment most often falls on the shoulders of the patient and family who are already overwhelmed by having to deal with a serious illness.

The evolution of healthcare advocacy

Fifty years ago, doctors traveled to the homes of their patients, watched as families grew and spent time talking to their patients. Now the average office visit is 11 minutes and physicians may be seeing as many as 40 patients a day. Have you discussed an in-depth plan of preventive care, healthy diet, and exercise to help you improve or maintain your health? If you or family members are dealing with a serious, chronic illness like cancer or heart disease, have you received a comprehensive and objective overview of all the treatment options available?

What good is having the world's best healthcare at your doorstep if you’re lost once you cross the threshold? To counter the long waits for rushed appointments, the confusion about what types of care are available and best suit your needs, and the stress of navigating the U.S. healthcare system, a new profession has emerged—professional healthcare advocacy.

For more than 20 years, Sarah Lawrence College has offered a graduate degree in health advocacy. Several other colleges and universities have followed suit, creating both graduate and undergraduate programs of study. Most graduates of these programs become healthcare policy advocates or work in hospitals or other medical settings as ombudsmen and patient representatives, responsible for helping patients and their families find the care and services they need within that particular institution.

But there's an exciting new development within the field—the private professional healthcare advocate who is not tied to a single medical institution or network of doctors. These specially trained individuals can be found at PinnacleCare, where advocates do more than guide patients and families to the best care available. They manage the entire healthcare process, from collecting medical records from all of the healthcare practitioners a family has seen, to expediting appointments and completing the necessary paperwork, to accompanying patients to appointments to act as an objective "second pair of ears."

"Medical care in the U.S. is great quality, but with 800,000 doctors in the country, it’s difficult to know who provides the best care in any given field. Many people have multiple problems being managed by several doctors, like heart disease and diabetes for example, so no one person is treating the whole patient. By creating a comprehensive service that provides independent, high quality professional health management 24/7, we are able to help people who are confused by the multiplicity of treatment options and the complexity of medical information,” explains John Hutchins, Managing Director of PinnacleCare, the firm at the forefront of this new form of comprehensive private healthcare management. “The role our advocate team takes on extends far beyond the traditional definition of advocacy to comprehensive, personalized management of the whole healthcare experience for the entire family."

PinnacleCare’s Members pay an annual fee to access a wide range of personalized health management services for themselves and their families, including 24-hour access to their own advocate team, objective data on the best physicians and treatment options, expedited access to care, the collection and secure storage of comprehensive medical records for every family member, an annual executive physical to pinpoint problems in their early stages and help members live healthier lives, travel and international medical referrals and resources, and more.

Can personal attention and advocacy make a difference?

Asked why working with a professional health management firm makes sense, Hutchins points to the experiences of PinnacleCare’s Members. The 79-year-old mother of a corporate executive had become increasingly forgetful, dizzy, and weak. Both mother and son were confused by the myriad of medications and diagnoses she had received from different doctors and frustrated with the hurried, brief appointments that did not help to clear up the situation.

Through PinnacleCare, she was quickly seen by the Head of Geriatrics at a major medical institution near her home. A careful review of her medical records and additional tests uncovered that she was experiencing the onset of Parkinson’s disease. With the right treatment and medication, her health and her outlook improved.

"We recently worked with a family whose daughter had been misdiagnosed,” Hutchins adds. “Because we could provide access to multiple resources in different locations around the country, we were able to build an aggregate of information that helped uncover that what the child was suffering from was actually a complex pain problem that required a completely different treatment approach. Having access to wider ranging, more comprehensive resources makes a significant difference. We don’t simply rely on the medical expertise of one institution or doctor. We take a much more global view, culling from the best of all resources including alternative and complementary medicine."

Tapping the expertise, resources, and energy of a professional

While it's good advice to learn as much as you can whether you’re fighting a life-threatening illness or seeking ways to live a longer, healthier life, acting as your own advocate can be a daunting, exhausting challenge. Add to that the stress experienced, for example, by a business owner who's trying to split his time between meeting the demands of his work life while working to ensure his ailing wife is receiving the best treatment, and you have an almost untenable situation.

"When you’re dealing with a serious medical situation, it's only natural to be overwhelmed. People tend to be confused about their options and too distracted or upset to ask the important questions that need to be asked. A professional advocate takes up that role, taking notes, doing research, providing information in layman's terms, and asking questions. This allows the family members to turn their energies toward loving and supporting the patient."

PinnacleCare provides private health management services to Members and their families. For more information, contact Ellen Maidman-Tanner, 410.752.1712 or emaidman-tanner@pinnaclecare.com.