Health Advocacy: HAP 530: Psychosocial Aspects

Offers frequently asked questions about the Affordable Care Act and links to useful resources created by APHA and other organizations.

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When Lauren Sampson was only seven years old, she had already been hospitalized more than 50 times. With her mother, Sally, by her side, she had spent a large part of her life with health care professionals. The two watched teams of physicians barge into Lauren’s hospital room and pat her stomach because they were curious about her pancreatitis. They watched nurses deliver shots and say “This won’t hurt” when, in fact, it did. They watched all kinds of caregivers explain what was going to happen, but not explain who they were.

Trevor Torres is 16. He has eczema and asthma, suffers from sleep deprivation, and is allergic to nuts. But the fun one, Trevor says, is juvenile, or type 1, diabetes. Is he angry about his medical conditions? Frustrated because of the inconveniences and limitations? Not at all. In fact, Trevor is the complete opposite. In this video, Trevor shares four things. He gives two reasons why he’d recommend type 1 diabetes to anyone and two pieces of practical advice for health care providers. So, take five minutes. Get to know Trevor as a patient and as a person. You’ll smile, laugh a couple times, and, perhaps, get a fresh perspective on health care.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Connie Davis says her career caring for the elderly has been “an amazing gift.” Learn how practicing patient-centered care with seniors can enrich both your life and their health outcomes.

When you make a mistake that affects a patient, what should you say? Should you apologize, or will that put you at greater risk of being sued? Lucian Leape, MD, Adjunct Professor of Health Policy at the Harvard School of Public Health, describes how to talk with patients and families after a mistake has occurred.