Patient Advocate And The Significance Of Their Service

By Arline Bradley


These individuals are primarily concerned with the care of patients and whether they have got sufficient knowledge about health plans. Patient advocate is a role that can be played by an individual or also by an organization that specializes in these services.

Advocates act as link between the health care provider and the patients. Those who engage in this job mostly have a background in social work or other areas such as health care. Perfect examples of these people are doctors and nurses. In the study of ethics in nursing, this advocacy is one of the major areas that are emphasized.

It may primarily entail playing simple tasks such as overseeing transportation of patients or their movement into nursing homes.

There is really no special licensing or accredited certification required to be in this field. However, institutions such as universities and colleges are offering simple training to those individuals wishing to engage in these roles. They organize workshops and some even offer certificates. Advocates are obliged to follow important legislation, rules that have been established and other requirements that have been stipulated. This means that they are individually responsible for educating themselves on these issues and the basic business of medicine.

This advocacy ensures that the client is sufficiently informed to ensure that he remains aware of the various procedures and requirements set by the health provider and other requirements. He or She may separately help the health care provider with relevant communication or issue concerning the patient. He or she simply acts as a link between the two. The advocate can therefore contribute immensely to the successful treatment of the patient by ensuring that the latter does not undergo any unnecessary fear, strain or anxiety when confronting issues such as basic formalities.

He or she may go a notch higher to ensure that the client and the family have access to published medical materials that he or she deems necessary for them to have. This involves having family members kept abreast with what is happening with regard to the patient. He or she also keeps a close eye on the medical records and the general treatment of the former so as to ensure correctness and compliance. More to this, he or she may be involved in dispute resolution on behalf of the patient. This may entail filing suits or seeking the intervention of government bodies that ensure patient protection or even the help bodies that play oversight roles. Another important role is that of ensuring that information of the client is confidential does not get into public domain and if need be it must with his or her consent.

Advocates a times sit on investigative and advisory panels of organizations that deal with different aspects of health care to ensure that decisions adopted safeguard and impact positively on the lives of their clients. They seek adoption of best practices in dealing with health care matters. Various government offices have established an office that specifically deals with matters of patient advocacy. Complains about the advocate or the health care provider or any conflict on health care for example with the insurance company may be solved here.

Personal skills are extremely important.He or she must always maintain a line between showing concern for the client and getting to much attached. Since this is an extremely difficult time for the patient, the advocate simply acts as supporter, backer, believer and even the spokesperson. Therefore this person may be a member of your family, relative, a chaplain, professional advocates or any person who can play these roles best.




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