Discussion one is focused on exploring the role of informal care on our formal healthcare system. There are 3 questions to answer in your initial response.

Often times healthcare professionals are interacting with patients’ caregivers alongside their patients. These “informal caregivers” may be a mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter, extended family member or even a friend. They may be involved in just providing transportation or they may be involved in all aspects of daily life and ensure all medical care is carried out as prescribed.

How clinical staff interact with these “informal caregivers” is very important, they are in some cases who they are addressing and working with through the care continuum and these “informal caregivers” may serve as the patient advocate. From scheduling an appointment to paying bills and in some cases making major medical decision, these individuals are a big part of the patients overall care experience.

Watch the following TED talk and share your thoughts on the questions below:

Scott Williams: The hidden role informal caregivers play in health care

1. How can the satisfaction of the “informal caregiver” impact an HCO?

This link provides some statistics around caregivers, scroll down and review the section titled Call to Action: Caregiving for Family and Friends — A Public Health Issue (cdc.gov)

2. Select 1 of the 8 actions outlined under the Call to Action section. What action did you select? What are some ways you think an HCO could accomplish the action you selected? Share some ideas on how they could meet the goal and support informal caregivers. Are there processes, tools and policies an HCO could create/support?