What healthcare professionals should be on your healthcare team?

[Music] in addition to your myeloma specialist what other healthcare professionals should you consider adding to your healthcare team so besides a mile on the specialist I think is important one to have you're certainly your local oncologist and even your general practitioner on your medical team you may well have other specialists on your team as well for example a nephrologist who specializes in kidneys for cardiologists who specializes in heart pulmonary issues a pain management doctor because you may go through some pain that they can help you with a neurologist who specializes in nerve issues and more they can all play a role in your overall health and quality of life with many specialists on your team it can be difficult to understand each person's role not all specialists are at every hospital or treatment facility and additionally they may go by different names share names and/or responsibilities therefore it is very important to identify the specialists you'll be working with as well as their job titles and responsibilities diagnosing and treating myeloma is often very complex patients they often require the help of several different medical professionals first is your oncologist the oncologist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer when treating myeloma it is advantageous to align yourself if possible with an oncologist who specializes in myeloma being a specialist means they exclusively treat myeloma patients your oncologist oversees your care from diagnosis throughout the course of the disease they will become your primary doctor the oncology nurse may also be known as the oncology nurse navigator oncology nurse navigator serve in many roles depending on their experience advanced education and specialized certification this person will likely be by your side the majority of the time you're on site at the hospital or treatment center they will offer education and resources to facilitate informed decision-making and access to quality health and psychosocial care throughout all phases of the cancer continuum the responsibilities of the oncology nurse may include giving physical examinations administering chemotherapy and other medication identifying patient needs coordinating with other members of the team educating and counseling patients and families and performing research as part of the clinical trial there's also the oncology nurse practitioner or NP NPS usually meet with patients independently while collaborating with the rest of the oncology team they are always under the supervision of an oncologist the responsibilities of the NP may include performing physical examinations and patient evaluation diagnosing and treating certain conditions recommending and diagnostic and laboratory tests and reading the results describing medications and giving chemotherapy helping patients manage cancer and treatment side-effects educating and counseling people about cancer and their medications performing certain procedures and performing research as part of the clinical trial palliative care doctors and nurses the palliative care teams work closely with other oncology team members to prevent and to treat the symptoms and side effects of cancer and its treatment a palliative care doctor is especially helpful when a person is still experiencing pain and other symptoms despite treatments for these symptoms the physician assistant or PA a PA works with a doctor delivering a broad range of services the responsibilities of the PA Bay include performing physical examinations recommending diagnostic and laboratory tests and reading results helping with surgery managing cancer and treatment side effects prescribing medications and administering chemotherapy educating and counseling people about cancer and performing certain procedures oncology social workers are usually assigned to you upon entering a hospital or a treatment plan these specialized clinicians can help you cope with every part of your cancer journey from understanding the diagnosis and treatment plan to navigating financial social and emotional issues to assisting patients transition back to work and regular activities during or after treatment you can also ask your social worker to connect to you with available resources to help with financial challenges and help you navigate the unique resources available to your hospital or treatment center oncology resource specialists not all facilities have these professionals but it never hurts to ask the oncology resource specialists can answer questions regarding the transportation options for patients as well as local lodging for patients and their families during treatment they will also help navigate other resources we will discuss including government and organizational support the registered dietitian or Rd & RD provides education on eating well and provides recommendations to help people with cancer cope with dietary needs you may find during your treatment that your appetite has changed these are great resources to rely on during that time the pathologist a pathologist is a medical doctor who specializes in looking at cells tissues and organs to diagnose disease you may never meet your pathologist but he or she plays an important role in determining the type and stage of cancer the responsibilities of the pathologists include determining the results of tests done on tissue samples providing the final diagnosis of cancer and working closely with the treating doctors a diagnostic radiologist a radiologist is a medical doctor specialized in using imaging tests such as x-rays and MRIs to help diagnose disease the responsibilities include reviewing and interpreting the results of imaging tests patient financial navigator may also be known as a financial patient advocate or patient navigator there may or may not be one of these professionals available at your facility don't hesitate to ask if they are not available there are outside cancer organizations or private organizations available such as the American Cancer Society patient advocate foundation and critical care financial consultants it's important to remember that navigators are unbiased to help you work to find the best health plan for your needs this individual helps guide patients from diagnosis through survivorship their responsibilities may include assisting a person and finding counseling and assisting and finding financial resources and other supportive services a rehabilitation therapist such as a physical occupational speech or recreational therapists these professionals help people with cancer return to their highest level of functioning patient billing or hospital financial services please remember that the hospital won't refuse to treat you if you don't pay your bill right away however your account should be in good standing a payment plan can have many benefits including discounts on the total abouts you own many hospitals have billing departments that will meet with you instead of a plan that works well for your individual circumstances some even offer meetings with a financial counselor who will work closely with you on your insurance cost obligations and identifying the right resources for you the chaplain or other religious support a chaplain offers spiritual support and rituals for people with cancer and their families these professionals may also lead support groups most hospitals have clergy on staff that will work with people of all faiths some people may prefer to work with their own clergy person again it was a very good idea to find out who your team is please keep a list of their names and phone numbers with you in the event you have questions you need the best players in all your position right in the middle is you you need a myeloma specialist right beside you surance provider you need good chemotherapy nurses you have to have a good local oncologist hematologist or I'd say a good family physician my goodness we know what the heck we're doing but you need somebody who can coordinate your care and they all have to work with this person right here the myeloma specialist and as Greg said remember and your caregivers [Music]