Advocating For Cancer Patients During Covid-19
- Family members are being denied access to hospitals, making it extremely hard to advocate for their loved ones going through treatment
- Some doctors and healthcare providers say they are stepping in as advocates — but it will be challenging
- Now more than ever care givers and family members must push hard for answers and treatment information
Your ability to advocate for family members with cancer is in jeopardy because of new hospital protocols that won’t allow patient visitors. Thankfully, physicians tell SurvivorNet that some medical teams are stepping up to provide treatment decisions on behalf of patients.
While in treatment, it’s critical cancer patients have advocates by their side to fight for the best care. However, Covid-19 has forced families out of hospital rooms as new protocols such as suspending family visitation have been implemented in order to keep patients and staff safe.
The SurvivorNet community asked Dr. Jeffrey Weber, Deputy Director of The Perlmutter Cancer Center, how family members will be able to advocate for loved ones during this uncertain time.
“I don’t think they’re going to be able to,” Dr. Weber admits. “I don’t think that’ll happen. If a doctor has to intubate without the family present to inform them that’s incredibly tough.”
In order to make sure cancer care is still a top priority, physicians are stepping up to fill the place of families and advocate for patients. In Chicago, Dr. Claudia Perez, a surgeon at Rush University Medical Center, accompanied breast cancer survivor Jessica Roubitchek who needed a screening test when she thought her cancer had returned and could not bring her family with her.
Cancer Patients As Their Own Advocates
Community support can help a cancer patient tremendously while undergoing treatment, and seeing as it’s unclear right now how patients will have access to an advocate, it’s never been more important that those battling cancer know information about their disease and are transparent with their oncologists about treatment options.
“…It’s important for you to actually educate yourself and be your own health care advocate,” Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet. “That’s something that I think is really important. You should lead each doctor’s appointment with a plan.”
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Advocating For Cancer Patients During Covid-19
- Family members are being denied access to hospitals, making it extremely hard to advocate for their loved ones going through treatment
- Some doctors and healthcare providers say they are stepping in as advocates — but it will be challenging
- Now more than ever care givers and family members must push hard for answers and treatment information
Your ability to advocate for family members with cancer is in jeopardy because of new hospital protocols that won’t allow patient visitors. Thankfully, physicians tell SurvivorNet that some medical teams are stepping up to provide treatment decisions on behalf of patients.
While in treatment, it’s critical cancer patients have advocates by their side to fight for the best care. However, Covid-19 has forced families out of hospital rooms as new protocols such as suspending family visitation have been implemented in order to keep patients and staff safe.
Read More
The SurvivorNet community asked
Dr. Jeffrey Weber, Deputy Director of The Perlmutter Cancer Center, how
family members will be able to advocate for loved ones during this uncertain time.
“I don’t think they’re going to be able to,” Dr. Weber admits. “I don’t think that’ll happen. If a doctor has to intubate without the family present to inform them that’s incredibly tough.”
In order to make sure cancer care is still a top priority, physicians are stepping up to fill the place of families and advocate for patients. In Chicago, Dr. Claudia Perez, a surgeon at Rush University Medical Center, accompanied breast cancer survivor Jessica Roubitchek who needed a screening test when she thought her cancer had returned and could not bring her family with her.
Cancer Patients As Their Own Advocates
Community support can help a cancer patient tremendously while undergoing treatment, and seeing as it’s unclear right now how patients will have access to an advocate, it’s never been more important that those battling cancer know information about their disease and are transparent with their oncologists about treatment options.
“…It’s important for you to actually educate yourself and be your own health care advocate,” Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet. “That’s something that I think is really important. You should lead each doctor’s appointment with a plan.”
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
