Patient Advocacy

Canadian Diabetes Association provides people with diabetes and healthcare professionals with education and services, advocating on behalf of people with diabetes, supporting research, and translating research into practical applications.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Network (CBCN) is a survivor-directed, national network of organizations and individuals. CBCN is a national link between all groups and individuals concerned about breast cancer, and represents the concerns of all Canadians affected by breast cancer and those at risk.

The CCB deals with the ongoing effects of blindness with specific programs to encourage active participation in local communities, education, sports and recreation and employment. The CCB's primary mandate is to improve the quality of life for Canadians living with vision loss.

The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly is a community based legal clinic for low income senior citizens. ACE provides direct legal services to low-income seniors, public legal education, and engages in law reform activities.

Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (CAPA) is a grass-root, patient-driven, independent, national organization with members across Canada. CAPA facilitates links between Canadians with arthritis and their support systems through collaboration and partnerships with other organizations, representatives from all levels of government, researchers and others.

An empowering book designed to create Priority Patients who will not only survive, but who will master the currently fragmented Canadian health care system. It will help them transform their doctor/patient relationships into partnerships. This book includes many step-by-step instructions and lists, as well as a bonus section designed to help patients create their own health care diary. The book covers interaction with your doctors, hospital stay, patient safety issues, patient's participation in health decisions, legal aspects and more.

Concerned Friends of Ontario is a non-profit corporation and registered charity dedicated to the reform of the long-term care system and to improvement of quality of life for residents. The website provides a description of long-term care, explains how long-term homes are inspected and provides a list of long-term homes in Ontario. There is also a checklist to help families in choosing a long-term care home that fits their needs.

Epilepsy Ontario is dedicated to promoting independence and optimal quality of life for children and adults living with seizure disorders. Through a network of local agencies, contacts and associates across the province, Epilepsy Ontario reaches out to people with epilepsy and their loved ones. It offers client services including counselling and referrals, information, education and advocacy services.

This resource provides easy to follow information and tips on how to communicate better with your doctor.  Written for people with no medical background and understanding medical terminology and culture, the book gives a valuable insight into the way doctors think and communicate. A list of core patient resources and record-keeping forms are also included.

AAIA is a Canadian patient association that deals with all aspects of allergy, including asthma, allergic rhinitis and anaphylaxis. It is a membership-based organization which operates at the community level and provides information about resources and services. Their services focus on education and prevention.

ALS Society is supporting Canadians living with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and investing in research for the future, so ALS will be a treatable, not terminal disease. It advocates federally, provincially and locally on behalf of people and their families for better government support and access within the healthcare system.

The American Migraine Foundation is a non-profit foundation supported by the American Headache Society and other donors. Its mission is to support innovative research and education that will lead to improvement in the lives of those who suffer from migraines and other disabling headaches.

Care Watch is a volunteer-run advocacy organization which is commitment to the overall wellbeing of all older people. It is advocating for accessible, affordable and consistent quality home and community care.  The website explains what supports are available to seniors and lists websites and organizations that facilitate access to services.

Despite advances in technology, the human interaction between patient and medical professional is still the essential foundation of healing. Marcus describes his experience of being a patient and gives his insight into what constitutes a compassionate care.

The author's vivid experiences form the basis of this guide to becoming a patient advocate. Her life-saving lessons will help you choose the best hospital, develop a partnership with caregivers, prevent medical mistakes, and avoid caregiver burnout. Along with practical advice for enforcing patient rights, executing power of attorney, and avoiding inappropriate hospital charges, the author also explores how to bolster the body, mind, and soul of a critically ill loved one through prayer, positivity, and spiritual healing.

This book provides a blueprint for patients and their families for developing an effective relationship with medical professionals. The handbook provides practical advice and numerous worksheets with list of critical questions to ask when meeting with a medical professional.

Patient decision aids are tools that help people become involved in decision making by making explicit the decision that needs to be made, providing information about the options and outcomes, and by clarifying personal values.  The website offers A-Z Inventory that helps to find decision- making aids by specific medical conditions.

The Arthritis National Research Foundation (ANRF) has funded arthritis research to understand the causes, preventions and development of new treatments for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, juvenile arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. These series of videos was developed to raise awareness of juvenile arthritis and to provide updated information on research done in this area.