What is the difference between a patient advocate and a precision oncology advisor?

Different problems

If the obstacle is a denied claim, a lost referral, a records request that has gone unanswered for three weeks, or the sheer administrative load of active treatment, an advocate is the right hire. If the obstacle is a fifteen-page sequencing report nobody has walked you through, or a claim that there are no remaining options, the problem is interpretive.

Credentials to look for

Advocacy is a largely unregulated field with a range of backgrounds, from nurses and social workers to certificate-holding navigators. Molecular interpretation should come from someone with doctoral training in molecular biology or genetics who reads primary literature routinely. Ask directly who performs the analysis and what their training is, in either case.

• Who personally does the work, and are cases handed to associates?
• What is the reviewer's training in molecular biology or genetics?
• Are there financial relationships with labs, pharmaceutical companies, or treatment centers?
• Is the fee fixed and agreed in advance?

Where MITOTICS sits

MITOTICS® is the interpretive role: a single-scientist practice run by Kim Lockheimer, with no financial relationship to any diagnostic vendor, laboratory, pharmaceutical company, or treatment center, and no referral fees or commissions. Some engagements include navigation elements; scope is defined in writing before work begins.

Related questions

Do I need both?

Some patients use both, particularly during active treatment with a complex insurance situation. Many need only one.

Can a precision oncology advisor talk to my insurer?

What the engagement includes depends on the arrangement and on what you authorize in writing. That is settled before any work begins.

Is MITOTICS paid by any laboratory or drug company?

No. There are no vendor relationships, referral fees, or commissions of any kind.