Patient advocacy emerged from a growing focus on individual rights and protections.
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Imagine your mom has just been discharged from the hospital to a rehabilitation center after hip replacement surgery. She has the paperwork, the facility’s address – and a long list of questions. Will her insurance cover her entire rehab stay? Does she have enough pain medication until she gets settled? Will the hospital transfer her prescriptions? Are they accurate?

Scenarios like this are exactly what patient advocates are trained to help with. They understand patients’ and families’ concerns, ensure their voices are heard by medical staff and interface with care teams, insurance companies and facility administrators. They also coordinate care, set up follow-up appointments and address potential gaps or blind spots in care.

Originally published on theconversation.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.