Patient Representative Certification

A patient representative assists patients and their family members.

A patient representative is someone who is available to answer any questions and resolve any complaints that patients or their families may have. The job of patient representative is still relatively new to the health care field.

Job Description

The patient representative acts as a liaison between the staff and the patient and explains the hospital's policies and procedures to the patient. The patient representative is also available to communicate any of the patient or family members questions or complaints to the appropriate parties.

Patient Representative Requirements

Because the field is still new, the credentials needed for a patient representative are unregulated. Employment requirements will vary but most patient representatives hold bachelor's or master's degrees.

Getting Credentialed

Sarah Lawrence College was the first school to offer a master's program in health care advocacy. The University of Miami offers an online certificate program, the Alfus Patient Advocacy Certificate program. Cleveland State University also offers an online patient advocacy certificate program.

References

• GetEducated: Career Center: Patient Advocate
• University of Miami: University of Miami Continuing Education: Patient Advocacy Online Certification
• Cleveland State University: Patient Advocacy Certificate Program, Continuing Ed- Cleveland State University