Patient Advocates Play Significant Role in Cancer Care
Program Manager, Katreena Mitchell
In this interview, Program Manager – Katreena Mitchell sits down with Claire Thevenot of Clarity Patient Advocates where their mission is to help patients in the Greater Atlanta Area achieve the best care possible by ensuring access to quality healthcare resources, providing information that empowers informed care, and easing the emotional, financial, and logistical burden of navigating the often complex and confusing healthcare system.
Katreena: Hi Claire, please tell readers about Clarity Patient Advocates.
Claire: We are a private patient advocate organization that works with patients and their families to access the healthcare system. We mostly work with oncology patients, but do service any patient, no matter the diagnosis. We assist by attending medical appointments, taking notes, coordinating second opinions, following up on insurance denials, etc. The healthcare system is complicated and fractured; we help patients and families navigate and understand it.
Katreena: What inspired you to start Clarity Patient Advocates?
Claire: I started the organization because of my background and the fact that I was already doing navigation for many friends and family members. I am an oncology certified registered nurse, as well as a 6.5 year cancer survivor. In my career as a nurse, I worked with surgeons and oncologists, so I knew what questions to ask, what resources to provide etc. Clarity Patient Advocates was a natural extension of what I had already been doing both personally and professionally. My husband was a champion in helping to push me toward doing what I love as an entrepreneur. I officially incorporated Clarity Patient Advocates in October 2019.
Katreena: How do you work with the healthcare teams?
Claire: Many people think that providers won’t accept private patient advocates, but that’s not the case. We are there to help patients understand their treatment options and comply with the plans set by their providers. We help patients craft questions for their providers and feel knowledgeable about their healthcare. We also take detailed notes about the visit that patients and their caregivers can review after the appointment. It’s important to note that although I’m an RN, I do not act in a clinical capacity during my time with the patient, because that is not a standard of ethics in the field of patient advocacy. I provide information and assistance and my clinical background guides my work. The service isn’t covered by insurance, but many families choose to invest in it anyway, because of the emotional weight that it removes during the experience.
Katreena: Why is this service beneficial for patients and their families?
Claire: A private patient advocate can help answer patient questions for clients and their families clarifying information that the healthcare provider has already communicated. Both doctors and families can find relief in the service because maybe they don’t have to reach out to their healthcare team for simple questions that can be answered by an advocate. I’ve also found that the appointments with the doctor are more valuable and effective since the patient is armed with knowledge and empowerment.
Katreena: What’s the most rewarding and the most challenging part of your work?
Claire: The most rewarding part of my work has to be that clients have been extraordinarily grateful. One of my most recent patients told me, teary-eyed, that she didn’t have a team before and now, with me, she has one. I love that I can be there to ease someone’s emotional pain surrounding their diagnosis.
The most challenging part of my work is getting attached to people that are ill, but that part also makes it rewarding as well.
Katreena: How can readers connect with you?
Claire: I am located in Atlanta, Georgia. Readers can reach me:
To find an advocate in your area, please visit The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates directory.