Rachael Moss talks with patient advocate Elisabeth Schuler about how to make the most of your visits, how to go in feeling prepared, and how to manage the logistics of a diagnosis without feeling like you’re in over your head.

Patient advocates can be a loved one, or a hired professional who helps sort through a diagnosis, looks into treatment options, points toward resources, spends time talking with healthcare companies, and is available for the questions that brief doctor’s visits may not answer.