什麼是癌症病人導航員?
“病人導航員”是一個20多年前在美國開始發展起來的角色, 它是指一個引導病人駕馭複雜的醫療系統的人士。對於那些被診斷患有癌症的病人來說，病人導航員尤為重要。你可以想像一下，當你或你的家人聽到“癌症”這兩個字時，你會覺得有如晴天霹靂, 突然間不知該怎樣做才好, 你很自然會希望了解更多有關這個癌症的資料、治療方案、癌病預後, 以及如何支付有關費用。 癌症病人導航員提供以癌病人為中心的指導及諮詢，以消除對癌病人在接受醫療期間所面對的障礙，從而提高醫療效益。目前，作為癌症病人導航員,不需任何特定的醫療或認可證要求, 對醫學或癌症一無所知的人亦可以稱自己為“癌症病人導航員”。事實上，一些組織或中介公司隨便找幾個曾經在醫院任職過的接待員或翻譯員，便稱他們為“癌症病人導航員”。ETW明白到癌症病人導航員對癌病人的重要性, 有時能否給你的癌病帶來希望說不定會取決於癌症病人導航員。故此, ETW堅信癌症病人導航員必須擁有最高的專業水平。ETW的癌症病人導航員有以下資格:
- 經過多年腫瘤培訓的醫療專業人員
- 擁有認証癌症專科藥劑師的資格
- 擁有美國頂尖大學的藥物學博士學位
- 擁有認証癌症專科藥劑師的資格
- 具有20多年的癌症藥物研究和治療癌病人的實際經驗, 不像其他人只是紙上談兵
- 對腫瘤藥物由臨床試驗設計到實際用於病人身上有豐富經驗
- 從使用藥品到實際醫療病人的美國醫療系統都瞭如指掌
- 與美國的醫生,醫院以或藥物的折扣計劃有深入認識
- 除了流利的英語外，還會說中文（廣東話）
在ETW, 我們明白癌症病人所面對的的獨特挑戰, 特別是那些來自美國以外的中國病人，他們大多不懂英語，也不了解複雜的美國醫療系統。即使病人或家人會說會話英語, 一旦對話內容涉及醫學術語, 頓時會覺得不知如何入手。ETW的癌症病人導航員提供以下服務:
- 審查你的醫療報告
- 為你解釋那些難以理解的醫療診斷、報告和治療方案
- 研究和審查有關的治療方案
- 協助你確定適合的癌病類型的臨床試驗
- 協助你決定是否到美國接受治療
- 協助你選擇合適的癌症中心和醫生
- 在美國安排預約會見醫生
- 協助你預備見醫生時會詢問的問題
- 陪同你一起去看醫生（僅限德克薩斯州休斯頓, 例如安徳森癌症中心）
- 在看過醫生後解釋治療方案
- 提供寶貴的病人資源，並協助你取得醫院費用和醫生費用折扣
- 協助申請抗癌藥物折扣
- 如果合適的話, 協助申請免費使用抗癌藥物
- 離開美國後, 與你在原家的腫瘤科醫生聯絡，以便在你回家後繼續適當的護理
“Patient Navigator” started to gain popularity about 10 years ago due to the increasing complexity of the medical system in the United States. For life changing medical diagnosis, such as cancers, patient navigator plays an important role. Imagine you or your loved ones have just received a diagnosis of cancer. Merely hearing the word “cancer” could turn your world upside down. Many people would want to learn about their diagnosis, available treatments, side effects from the treatment, prognosis of the disease and most important of all, how they could pay for the treatment.
A cancer patient navigator can assist you in gathering all the information you need in order to prepare you for your medical journey. This person guides you through the medical system, providing assistance from disease screening, diagnosis, treatment options and long term follow up. An effective patient navigator not only should have the appropriate medical background, but must also understand the A to Z of the U.S. medical system, which includes drug development, clinical trial, treatment modality, and patient assistance programs. Having a patient navigator guide you in your medical journey can improve your communication with your doctor or medical team, thus allowing you to make the most informed decisions about your treatment. Patient navigators may also assist you in setting up appointments with your doctor, medical tests, and get financial, legal or social support. For patients coming from outside of the United States, a patient navigator is indispensable to your visit.
The patient navigator at ETW is bilingual in English and Cantonese, U.S. trained, with over 20 years of experience in the medical field, and has specialty training in cancer therapy. ETW is the only provider of patient navigator service in Cantonese in the United States.