When we are young, our parents are the third party in the doctor’s office visit. They are there to speak before we are able to do so, give perspective, advocate, remember, and enable compliance.
In life, especially as we live longer, the tables can be turned—our children (including family members and entrusted individuals) might join our doctor’s office visits to serve many of these same functions. So whether because of age or illness, it’s not just the patients who need connection with the healthcare team, but often a latticework of permissioned people.
Gathering the information needed can have unique challenges in this situation. And patient confidentiality needs to be maintained.
Can technology help? We think so.
Creating secure technology can help bridge this gap and give new ways to connect patients and their families with caregivers and clinical teams. These new processes serve as an interpreter, of sorts, to help translate patients’ voices and desires into readily available data—and give healthcare teams access, securely and instantly, when making decisions in care situations.
Through our own experiences as caregivers, we’ve compiled a check list for how to best assist someone when you’re a “third party” in a provider engagement. This is the type of support you can expect from ALICE Helps, as our platform is launched this summer.
Third Party Support Tips
- Remember: “clear is kind.” Be clear at the start about the expectations and your role.
- Stay in your lane. If your role, for example, is solely to enable patient mobility or prevent falls, then make sure clinicians know this and don’t ask you for input about the number or description of falls. Responding to such questions would, on the other hand, be appropriate if your role is a primary caregiver.
- Plan ahead. Have a crisis plan and emergency contacts quickly accessible.
- Understand the patient’s limitations and act accordingly. If they can hear out of the right, but not left ear, place yourself accordingly. Or, if they have macular degeneration that limits visualization of your face, tell them who you are, several times.
- Document what happens. Ensure that instructions and visit/discharge summaries are collected and delivered to responsible persons. (Whenever possible, take a photo of the documents for secure storage in a tool like ALICE Helps.)
- Find ways to connect. Show small kindnesses to the person, whether through a soft touch, smile, hug, word of encouragement, or small “leave behind,” which will humanize the care experience to improve their wellbeing—and you’ll feel better too!