What is a patient advocate and what do they do?
The Patient Advocacy Certification Board or PACB defines a patient advocate as “a professional who provides services to patients and those supporting them who are navigating the complex healthcare continuum”
“The role of an advocate is informational, not medical. Advocates are committed to helping clients and client communities make informed choices and access resources.” The role of a patient advocate is further detailed in PACB’s Competencies and Best Practices.
Taken together, all of this information tells us what a patient advocate does:
- Provides services to patients as they navigate the healthcare system,
- Works directly with patients to ensure that they have a voice in their care
- Works to make sure that patients have sufficient information to promote informed decision making
- Plays an informational role
- Is committed to helping patients make informed choices and access resources
- Ensures that a patient’s wishes are the guiding force behind decisions affecting medical care and the withholding of care
- Collaborates effectively with other members of the healthcare team
Board Certified Patient Advocates work with individual clients who need assistance navigating complex medical situations by partnering with them, seeking to empower them, and supporting their ability to make autonomous decisions.
A Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA)
BCPA is a credential earned by those who have studied and passed the official certification exam to determine their abilities and fitness for serving patients and their families who need assistance with some portion of their journey through the healthcare system.
If you see the BCPA initials after someone’s name, they have earned this designation.
The credential was developed by the Patient Advocate Certification Board (PACB).
What a patient advocate does NOT do:
The first Ethical Standard of PACB is very clear that a patient advocate “shall not recommend specific treatment choices, provide clinical opinions, or perform medical care of any type, even if they possess clinical credentials.” Further, PACB’s Competencies and Best Practices clearly state that a patient advocate must “avoid diagnosing or prescribing any medical/mental health treatment for clients, even if the advocate has additional licensure or training.”
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