Patient Advocate FAQs

Q1: What is a Believe Big Patient Advocate?
A1: A Believe Big Patient Advocate is a dedicated team member, who passionately supports and guides patients and their families in their cancer journey. They provide a listening ear, share valuable health tips, and connect individuals with resources.

Q2: What does a Believe Big Patient Advocate do?
A2: Believe Big Patient Advocates listen, refer, and educate. They listen to the patient’s story, refer them to relevant resources like mistletoe therapy, nutritionists, and more. They also educate patients on various aspects of their care, emphasizing being their own advocates.

Q3: Is Believe Big Patient Advocate a medical practitioner?
A3: No, Believe Big Patient Advocates are not medical practitioners. They do not offer medical advice. Instead, they are skilled listeners who provide emotional support, share information, and connect patients with appropriate resources.

Q4: How can a patient reach out to Believe Big Patient Advocates?
A4: Patients can reach out through phone calls or by filling out a form on the Believe Big website. The team strives to respond within 24 to 48 hours and offers support first via email and can further schedule 30-minute phone calls to discuss individual needs.

Q5: What resources does Believe Big Patient Advocates provide?
A5: Believe Big Patient Advocates offers a range of resources to support individuals, including podcasts, webinars, a repository of frequently asked questions about mistletoe therapy, and connections to specialists such as integrative and mistletoe trained practitioners, nutritionists, and the Hypothermia Cancer Institute, among others. Additionally, they provide Believe mugs, wellness grants, and spiritual support.

Q6: How can patients afford complementary therapies recommended by Believe Big?
A6: Believe Big Patient Advocates suggest options like GoFundMe pages and Give Send Go for financial support. They also offer wellness grants to help offset the initial costs of consultations with mistletoe doctors or nutritionists.

Q7: What limitations do Believe Big Patient Advocates have?
A7: Believe Big Patient Advocates are not medical practitioners and cannot provide medical advice, treatments, or prescriptions. They do not diagnose medical conditions, replace the role of healthcare professionals, provide legal advice, or influence medical decisions made by healthcare professionals. Additionally, they are not financial advisors, trained in medical procedures, or replacements for primary care physicians, oncologists, caregivers, or family support systems. Their role primarily focuses on offering emotional support, sharing information, referring patients to appropriate resources, and encouraging collaborative decision-making with qualified healthcare providers.