Patient Advocate Certification
A patient advocate, also called a patient's rights advocate, works on behalf of individuals suffering from a medical illness. Their job is to inform, counsel, intervene, negotiate, and fight for the medical and legal rights of the patient, in addition to simply relieving them of the burden of dealing with a multitude of outside, stressful issues that may hinder their recovery. These can include handling the person's insurance issues, Medicare or Medicaid paperwork, medical billing problems, legal difficulties, arranging additional care, and working with social service and governmental agencies.
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Types
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Universities and colleges that offer specialized instruction in patient advocacy are rare, but an associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree in healthcare, medicine, public health, or social work serves as an entry point into a career. Some advocates may possess as little as a high school degree. "If you have an interest in the field but no experience in healthcare, volunteer with a non-profit community service agency or medical facility; offer to help patients, and thereby learn the ins and outs of the medical system," advises GetEducated.com, an online degree-comparison resource.
Advocacy Masters
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Several educational institutions do see a need for instruction in the area. Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, was the first, and, as of 2010, the only college to offer a master's degree program in health advocacy. "Through course work in a wide variety of subjects--including physiology, history, law, health policy, and ethics--students acquire a broad background to help keep them flexible as the profession evolves," writes the college.
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Certification
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Cleveland State University offers patient advocacy certification as part of an online, continuing education program, available to individuals nationally, with no prerequisites for enrollment. Certification will be received for each individual course passed, but only those who complete the entire advocacy program will be awarded the full Patient Advocacy Certificate. Across the country, Stanford University's School of Medicine offers patient advocacy certification exclusively to medical students while Florida's University of Miami has developed an advocacy certification program open to anyone interested in learning the field and assisting the university's physicians in providing assistance to their patients.
Career Change
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GetEducated.com suggests that, due to the lack of necessity in acquiring certification or licensing for a job in patient advocacy, people interested in making mid-career changes should consider the opportunity. Social workers, healthcare workers, lawyers, medical assistants, medical billing clerks, and counselors all have employment backgrounds amenable to the field of patient advocacy. Some patient advocates work specifically on legislation or healthcare reform.
Salary and Outlook
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According to SimplyHired.com, as of June 2010, the average annual salary for a patient advocate stands at $44,000, dependent on experience, degree, region, and employer. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide data on the specific profession of patient advocacy, but employment in social work, a category that includes patient advocates, is expected to jump by 16 percent between 2008 and 2018. This is especially true for those working in rural areas or specializing in advocacy for elderly patients.
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References
- Photo Credit Businessman and female assistant working on laptop image by Vladimir Melnik from Fotolia.com
