Thriving at Every Age – The Essential Benefits of Having a Health Advisor

When you’re facing a serious medical condition such as cancer or Parkinson’s disease, the guidance of an experienced health advisor can be transformative. A skilled advisor can help you identify and access leading physicians and medical centers, provide evidence‑based information about your diagnosis and treatment options, organize and review your medical records, and accompany you to critical appointments to take notes and ask informed questions. This support can influence your health outcomes and significantly reduce the stress of navigating a complex healthcare system. What many people overlook, however, is the value of a health advisor when they are well.

A health advisor can help you build and adhere to a personalized, proactive healthcare strategy that can adapt over time if needs change. Using that strategy, you can manage your health risks and take steps to be as healthy as possible now and in the future. If you do face a serious illness or injury at some point in your life, your health advisor, who is well versed in your medical history and health goals, will be at your side.

What is a health advisor?

Health advisors do not provide medical care. Instead, they offer a range of services and resources that expand and complement the services provided by your health insurance and primary care or concierge physician. Your advisor takes on the role of advocate and helps you navigate the healthcare system—from researching conditions and treatments and managing your medical records to helping you connect with expert physicians and schedule appointments.

Why do you need a health advisor when you’re healthy?

There are several different ways a health advisor can help you and your family when you’re healthy and when you’re facing an illness or injury.

• Proactive prevention: An advisor can help you make sure you receive all appropriate preventive care, including annual physicals, immunizations, and screenings and ensure you receive any needed follow-up care or diagnostic testing. He or she can also help you set wellness goals, such as weight management, exercise, healthy sleep, and stress reduction and help you develop an action plan to achieve your goals.
• Risk management: By understanding your health risks, you can take steps to manage them. An advisor can help you gather your personal and family health history so you can work with your physician to identify any health risks you face, such as heart disease, cancer, depression, diabetes, or other diseases. Your physician can recommend proactive steps to reduce your risk and your advisor can help you follow through with your risk reduction strategy by guiding you to appropriate specialists.
• Expedited access to expert second opinions: An advisor can schedule in person and virtual second opinions with expert physicians who have broad experience treating patients with your diagnosis.
• Medical records collection and management: This is especially important if you see multiple doctors. An advisor can gather and review the medical records from all the doctors you see, as well as any records from treatments you’ve received in a hospital or other medical facility. After bringing all that information together, an advisor can create a comprehensive, curated, consistently reviewed and updated medical record so that any physician who treats you has access to all your medical information, an important factor in preventing medical errors and misdiagnosis.
• Expedited access to top physicians and hospitals in the U.S. and overseas: Whether you’re facing an emergency or need the care of a specialist, your advisor can help you quickly access the care you need without the limitations of insurance provider networks or having to rely on referrals within a single hospital system.
• Access to evidence-based information: An advisor can help you find physicians with experience and expertise to help you achieve your health goals. He or she can also provide you with the latest objective, evidence-based information so that you understand any diagnosis you face and can make an informed decision about your treatment.
• Coordination of care and communication between all the physicians you see: You advisor will ensure that all your physicians, including primary care, specialists, emergency medicine providers, and physicians providing second opinions on diagnoses and treatment options, are connected and have access to medical records, test results, previous treatments, and more to lower the risk of missed follow up, misdiagnosis, and over- or under-treatment.
• Care management and support: Your advisor can help you schedule physician’s appointments and even attend those appointments with you to take notes and ask questions. In addition, your advisor can help you manage your care, which can be helpful if you’re facing a serious, rare, or complex health problem or if you’re older and living with multiple health issues.

Are health advisory services a good fit for you?

The services provided by a health advisor can help anyone who wants to take a more proactive approach to health and wellness, but they’re especially helpful for:

• People who want to build a proactive and preventative health strategy to minimize health risks and optimize wellness
• People diagnosed with a serious, rare, or complex condition and those living with multiple physical and/or mental health challenges
• Older people living with multiple chronic health conditions that require frequent doctor’s visits to multiple specialists, diagnostic testing, and the management of multiple prescription medications

What to look for in a health advisor

A health advisory firm is only as good as its staff and the resources it provides. Here are some things to consider when comparing health advisory firms:

• Does the firm have strong relationships with medical centers of excellence across the country so you can have access to the best care when you need it?
• Do they have trained, dedicated staff responsible for collecting, organizing, and reviewing medical records to develop a thorough understanding of your health risks and goals? Is that information continuously reviewed and updated? Is it available in a secure electronic format that can be instantly shared with any physician who treats you to reduce your risk of misdiagnosis and medical errors?
• Do they have specially trained staff to perform evidence-based medical research on physicians, health conditions, and treatments and deliver objective recommendations, reports, and referrals?
• Is an advisor available 24/7/365?
• Can they quickly connect you with expert physicians in person or virtually for medical second opinions? Will an advisor help you understand the second opinion and what your next steps should be?
• Do they offer support to ensure medical bills are accurate and help you if they aren’t?

Connect with PinnacleCare

For more information about how PinnacleCare’s Health Advisors could support your wellness strategy, connect with us today.

PinnacleCare is a member of the Sun Life Financial Inc. (“Sun Life”) family of companies. PinnacleCare and its employees do not diagnose medical conditions, recommend treatment options or provide medical care, and any information or services provided should not be considered medical advice. Any medical decisions should be made only after consultation with and at the direction of your medical provider. Any person or entity who provides health care services following a referral or other service provided does so independently and not as an agent or representative of PinnacleCare.

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