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Private, professional patient advocacy is a new, non-certified practice
There is no diploma or degree programme offered in India to get certified as a patient- advocate. The profession is so young that there is no accrediting agency or licensing body that has developed standards for certifying the skills of patient advocates.
Even in other parts of the world, there are just a few “certificate” courses but no universally agreed-upon standards for certification. Further, since institutes offer different curricula, have different eligibility criteria for admission and follow different approaches to programme delivery (online or offline), the quality of their student output varies accordingly. For example, while Sarah Lawrence College (https://www.slc.edu/) in New York offers a Master’s level programme in health advocacy, Cleveland State University (https://www.csuohio.edu/) runs an online programme on patient advocacy, and both are in demand.
Training Needed
To be hired as a hospital patient advocate, you’ll need the following qualifications: usually an Associates or Bachelors degree, and often a Masters degree in nursing, psychology, humanities, social services, education, human relations, communication or a related field. Many hospital patient advocates begin as social workers or in clinical positions.
How to choose the right programme?
Begin with a need gap analysis – figure out what is needed in your skill-set to best serve your clients and then scout for a school or a programme that most effectively addresses that knowledge gap. Next, determine your budget. How much can you spend? The key is to weigh value against possibilities. Figure out how much you can spend by determining how easily you’ll be able to pay yourself back. If you are already employed somewhere, taking a long sabbatical to finish a one-year programme may not be practical. In that case, hunt for an online programme. You’ll find plenty of courses that answer your specific training needs. Maybe a short series of weekend courses would give you a better return on your investment. If your means are limited, find out about scholarships, equated monthly installments (EMI) schemes, discounts and other funding opportunities that would spread out your outflow over a period of time.
Who makes a good patient advocate?
Generally, anyone with empathy makes for a good advocate. Advocates who assist elderly patients and children need plenty of patience. Those who prefer to work with insurance and billing clerks need to understand how these departments work and they must be good at number-crunching.
Good training will teach you how to...
- Improve patient and family experience in a hospital
- Engage patients and families in the patient’s care
- Promote patient-and family-centered care
- Reduce medical errors by educating and empowering patients and their families about the care plan
- Give voice to healthcare consumers and their families in a complex healthcare scenario
- Reduce fragmentation and duplication of work
- Assist in cost reduction
- Reduce frustration and restore patient trust in the deteriorating healthcare system
- Practice a new model of care coordination
The Professional Patient Advocate Institute
New York-Based Professional Patient Advocate Institute offers high-level, in-depth training. The Institute serves independent patient advocates, in- hospital patient advocates, employer groups and others interested in ensuring effective, consumer-driven healthcare.
(For more details log on to www. patientadvocatetraining.com/)
Nurses, lawyers, medical assistants, medical billing clerks, retired doctors and counselors have the right employment history and experience to be ideal candidates for this job. Some patient advocates also specialise in health care reform, public education, and legislative matters. Hospitals also provide in-house training to new recruits which is important, as patient- advocates need to be knowledgeable about the systems and processes of their employer. Patient-advocates need to wear many hats and master many skills.
Patient advocates for the poor, downtrodden and underprivileged
An auto rickshaw driver got admitted to the emergency ward of a government hospital after he passed out on the road. After running all the tests, the doctors concluded that the patient hadn’t taken his blood pressure medication on time. The hospital got a patient-advocate to explain the medication schedule to the auto driver in Marathi, his local language. When he was done, the advocate asked the patient to write down the instruction in his own handwriting, thus ensuring he would retain the information provided ! Busy doctors just do not have the time to hand hold their patients like patient advocates can.
Be professional
If you don’t exemplify professionalism, how will you be able to expect it of others? Make sure you have a website that your patients can log onto for all their health information needs. The design, messaging and layout of your site should be extremely simple and accessible to lay patients. The navigation should be smooth and the design must be uncluttered.
Be accessible
As smart phones are becoming more popular, it’s essential to have a mobile version of your website. Encourage patients to call you from their smart phones to seek directions to your office, schedule appointments or find out about your services.
Be knowledgeable
One of the best ways to secure the trust and respect of your patients is to demonstrate to them that you are an expert in your field. Display your loyal patients’ testimonials on your website. Maintain a patient library or begin to run a blog so that patients come to you looking for help, instead of Googling for information.
Build trust and loyalty
A happy patient should be treasured. She will be happy to sing your praises to others - and word of mouth marketing is worth its weight in gold. Successful patient-advocates wield a lot of clout. If you do well, hospitals will roll out a red carpet for you and doctors will treat you (and your patients) as VIPs because you are a good source of patient referrals.
Be able to communicate
Patient advocates serve as liaisons between the patient and his family and doctors, nurses and health insurance companies. You need to engage with a wide spectrum of people. You have to be an active listener and be able to present your patients’ concerns to the doctors in a manner that gives them access to the right care.
Be well organised
Patient-advocates must be good record-keepers. You have to fix appointments and follow-up with doctors, as well as maintain and update patient records in a timely fashion.
Be able to solve problems
A patient advocate’s job is challenging, but if you like tackling problems, the role can be extremely satisfying. You need research skills and analytical abilities to master problem-solving techniques, and should be able to sift through loads of information and keep yourself updated all the time, much like investigative journalists.
Be patient
You will need tons of patience, if you want to learn to protect yourself from burn-out. Questions you should ask your trainer Before you join an institute or enrol for a programme, it might be a good idea to ask your trainer:
- What is the career path for patient advocates?
- How long do they typically stay in their jobs?
- What kind of training and educational programmes do you offer?
- Are these courses certified?
- How much would the programme cost and what would be its duration?
- What do you cover in your content? Do you follow a case-study approach?
- What are the most challenging aspects of patient advocacy?
- What are the most engaging aspects of patient advocacy?
Since it’s a long-term investment that you are making in yourself, choose your programme with care, and after doing in-depth research on the available options.
The truth is that the practice of patient advocacy, just like the practise of medicine, is complicated; it is an art as well as a science. A good patient advocate is learning all the time. A patient advocate masters her profession by investing years of training and experience, so that she can identify a problem; make the right decision; and react within a few minutes, till this ability becomes nearly instinctual. When navigating the healthcare system, time can be critical, hence the need for humility, experience and expertise.
As with any other profession, patient advocates need to follow a Code of Ethics. The following principles are very useful as a guideline.
Principle 1
Objectivity: The role of the Professional Patient Advocate is to represent the patient and family first and foremost, regardless of who employs them.
Principle 2
Scope of Practice: The Professional Patient Advocate must work within her scope of practice. Other members of the healthcare team should be utilized as needed to meet the demands of her patient.
Principle 3
Full disclosure of services, fees and length of time services will be performed: The Professional Patient Advocate must provide to the patient and his family a document that fully discloses her role and function, as well as the fees and services the patient advocate will perform.
Principle 4
Confidentiality: A Professional Patient Advocate should obtain a consent that authorizes the patient advocate to speak and act on behalf of the patient.
Principle 5
Promoting Autonomy: The Professional Patient Advocate’s role is to educate and empower the patient to make informed decisions based on his individual wishes and in keeping with his cultural, spiritual, religious and ethical beliefs.
Principle 6
Accountability: The Professional Patient Advocate is held accountable for the work done on behalf of her patients.
Private, professional patient advocacy is a new, non-certified practice
There is no diploma or degree programme offered in India to get certified as a patient- advocate. The profession is so young that there is no accrediting agency or licensing body that has developed standards for certifying the skills of patient advocates.
Training Needed
To be hired as a hospital patient advocate, you’ll need the following qualifications: usually an Associates or Bachelors degree, and often a Masters degree in nursing, psychology, humanities, social services, education, human relations, communication or a related field. Many hospital patient advocates begin as social workers or in clinical positions.
How to choose the right programme?
Who makes a good patient advocate?
Generally, anyone with empathy makes for a good advocate. Advocates who assist elderly patients and children need plenty of patience. Those who prefer to work with insurance and billing clerks need to understand how these departments work and they must be good at number-crunching.
Good training will teach you how to...
- Improve patient and family experience in a hospital
- Engage patients and families in the patient’s care
- Promote patient-and family-centered care
- Reduce medical errors by educating and empowering patients and their families about the care plan
- Give voice to healthcare consumers and their families in a complex healthcare scenario
- Reduce fragmentation and duplication of work
- Assist in cost reduction
- Reduce frustration and restore patient trust in the deteriorating healthcare system
- Practice a new model of care coordination
The Professional Patient Advocate Institute
New York-Based Professional Patient Advocate Institute offers high-level, in-depth training. The Institute serves independent patient advocates, in- hospital patient advocates, employer groups and others interested in ensuring effective, consumer-driven healthcare.
(For more details log on to www. patientadvocatetraining.com/)
Nurses, lawyers, medical assistants, medical billing clerks, retired doctors and counselors have the right employment history and experience to be ideal candidates for this job. Some patient advocates also specialise in health care reform, public education, and legislative matters. Hospitals also provide in-house training to new recruits which is important, as patient- advocates need to be knowledgeable about the systems and processes of their employer. Patient-advocates need to wear many hats and master many skills.
Patient advocates for the poor, downtrodden and underprivileged
An auto rickshaw driver got admitted to the emergency ward of a government hospital after he passed out on the road. After running all the tests, the doctors concluded that the patient hadn’t taken his blood pressure medication on time. The hospital got a patient-advocate to explain the medication schedule to the auto driver in Marathi, his local language. When he was done, the advocate asked the patient to write down the instruction in his own handwriting, thus ensuring he would retain the information provided ! Busy doctors just do not have the time to hand hold their patients like patient advocates can.
Be professional
If you don’t exemplify professionalism, how will you be able to expect it of others? Make sure you have a website that your patients can log onto for all their health information needs. The design, messaging and layout of your site should be extremely simple and accessible to lay patients. The navigation should be smooth and the design must be uncluttered.
Be accessible
As smart phones are becoming more popular, it’s essential to have a mobile version of your website. Encourage patients to call you from their smart phones to seek directions to your office, schedule appointments or find out about your services.
Be knowledgeable
One of the best ways to secure the trust and respect of your patients is to demonstrate to them that you are an expert in your field. Display your loyal patients’ testimonials on your website. Maintain a patient library or begin to run a blog so that patients come to you looking for help, instead of Googling for information.
Build trust and loyalty
A happy patient should be treasured. She will be happy to sing your praises to others - and word of mouth marketing is worth its weight in gold. Successful patient-advocates wield a lot of clout. If you do well, hospitals will roll out a red carpet for you and doctors will treat you (and your patients) as VIPs because you are a good source of patient referrals.
Be able to communicate
Patient advocates serve as liaisons between the patient and his family and doctors, nurses and health insurance companies. You need to engage with a wide spectrum of people. You have to be an active listener and be able to present your patients’ concerns to the doctors in a manner that gives them access to the right care.
Be well organised
Patient-advocates must be good record-keepers. You have to fix appointments and follow-up with doctors, as well as maintain and update patient records in a timely fashion.
Be able to solve problems
A patient advocate’s job is challenging, but if you like tackling problems, the role can be extremely satisfying. You need research skills and analytical abilities to master problem-solving techniques, and should be able to sift through loads of information and keep yourself updated all the time, much like investigative journalists.
Be patient
You will need tons of patience, if you want to learn to protect yourself from burn-out. Questions you should ask your trainer Before you join an institute or enrol for a programme, it might be a good idea to ask your trainer:
- What is the career path for patient advocates?
- How long do they typically stay in their jobs?
- What kind of training and educational programmes do you offer?
- Are these courses certified?
- How much would the programme cost and what would be its duration?
- What do you cover in your content? Do you follow a case-study approach?
- What are the most challenging aspects of patient advocacy?
- What are the most engaging aspects of patient advocacy?
Since it’s a long-term investment that you are making in yourself, choose your programme with care, and after doing in-depth research on the available options.
As with any other profession, patient advocates need to follow a Code of Ethics. The following principles are very useful as a guideline.
Principle 1
Objectivity: The role of the Professional Patient Advocate is to represent the patient and family first and foremost, regardless of who employs them.
Principle 2
Scope of Practice: The Professional Patient Advocate must work within her scope of practice. Other members of the healthcare team should be utilized as needed to meet the demands of her patient.
Principle 3
Full disclosure of services, fees and length of time services will be performed: The Professional Patient Advocate must provide to the patient and his family a document that fully discloses her role and function, as well as the fees and services the patient advocate will perform.
Principle 4
Confidentiality: A Professional Patient Advocate should obtain a consent that authorizes the patient advocate to speak and act on behalf of the patient.
Principle 5
Promoting Autonomy: The Professional Patient Advocate’s role is to educate and empower the patient to make informed decisions based on his individual wishes and in keeping with his cultural, spiritual, religious and ethical beliefs.
Principle 6
Accountability: The Professional Patient Advocate is held accountable for the work done on behalf of her patients.
Principle 7
Continuous Learning: The Professional Patient Advocate commits to continuous learning in order to keep up to date on clinical matters and with trends and advances that impact patient care.
Principle 7
Continuous Learning: The Professional Patient Advocate commits to continuous learning in order to keep up to date on clinical matters and with trends and advances that impact patient care.
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