PROFESSIONAL HEALTH CARE ADVOCACY

The person is often a nurse, social worker, geriatric care manager, or other health care professional who can help you navigate the health care system, including dealing with clinicians, understanding your condition and treatment options, and even helping with health insurance issues.

Hiring a professional advocate could be a good option if you don’t have a spouse, relative, friend
or caregiver that you trust. Older adults are especially likely to benefit from having another
person with them during medical visits. As you age, you may have more health issues to discuss. Having two people hear the discussion and making sure they understand is much better than one set of ears, since it can be difficult for one person to remember everything that is discussed.

An advocate is not just for doctor visits or hospital stays. A patient can discuss new health issues with the advocate. For instance, an advocate can offer perspective on whether or not a
treatment is working. When there are two people on the same page of an issue, the patient
doesn’t have to agonize about making all the decisions alone. This is particularly important for
seniors and those who may live alone. An advocate can also help doctors educate you about
your condition so you can manage it better.

For family members who live far from the patient and are managing their care long distance, an
advocate can coordinate care and communicate with everyone involved in the patient’s care.

For patients living alone, another set of eyes and ears at appointments ensures understanding
and compliance.

It varies based on several factors: location of service area, one-time fee for limited services versus ongoing hourly rate for services. Costs associated with hourly rate are dependent on how much service and support are required and for how long.

The Desire to Help Patients and their Families

This is the most important patient advocate requirement. Advocates must possess a natural sense of caring for people and empathy for what patients experience throughout their health challenges. Wanting to help and be of service is the driving force that propels patient advocates to delve into each case they take on, making them extremely resourceful and willing to go the extra mile on behalf of a patient's best interests.

Effective Communication Skills

Patient Advocates must communicate with a wide spectrum of people, from the patients and their families, to doctors, nurses and health insurance companies. They must serve as mediators, or liaisons, between the patient and those responsible for the medical, legal and financial aspects of the patient's care.

Advocates must also be able to communicate well with other administrators involved in the health care industry. They must be able to listen effectively to patients and to present the concerns of the patient to others in such a way that causes others to work in favor of the patient, fearlessly asking questions to get information.

Strong Organizational Skills

Keeping track of a patient's concerns means the patient advocate needs to stay on top of details, keeping records of detailed notes about each case and notating follow-up calls with the patient and others involved. Patient advocate requirements also include time management skills to ensure that every patient's case is well coordinated.

Good Problem-Solving Skills

A patient advocate is likely to be faced with problems constantly – as problems are what patients need help with. The patient advocate must not be afraid to tackle these challenges, and be willing and able to find solutions through mediation and negotiation. This might require some degree of creativity. Part of problem-solving involves having research skills, because patient advocates – much like investigative reporters – must dig up information that can help patients know their rights.