Here's how you can maintain motivation and focus as a patient advocacy consultant.

Specific and Measurable Goals: Don't just say "help more patients." Set specific, measurable goals like "increase patient participation in advocacy training by 20% by Q3" or "secure media coverage for X number of patient stories." Challenging Yet Achievable: A good goal should push you, but not be so out of reach that it feels discouraging. Track Your Progress: Break down your goals into smaller milestones and track your progress regularly. This helps you stay motivated and see how far you've come.

Do not make decisions FOR your patient, make decisions WITH your patient. Collaborate on care and set goals TOGETHER! Gone are the days in medicine where patients want to be told what to do. They want to have an active role in their treatment plan. By being involved, being engaged, and feeling heard, our patients will be more compliant and more motivated to achieve their desired outcomes. Practicing in this manner embodies patient centered care. Your patients will thank you and they will do better!

As a patient advocacy consultant, setting SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound—is essential to my strategy. Each short-term goal, like helping a patient understand their treatment options, directly supports my broader vision of enhancing care quality. Regularly reviewing these objectives ensures they align with Martha’s Insights’ mission, keeping my focus sharp and my actions impactful. Celebrating these small victories not only motivates me but also paves the way for larger achievements, such as influencing healthcare policy. This approach ensures that every step I take is a stride towards meaningful change in our healthcare system.

I set goals real-time with my patients. If set ahead of time, they are not truly mutual goals. During our sessions we collaborate and refine our mutual goals, and it is clearly more beneficial for both of us.

Hamze and Susan excellently identify SMART goals and collaborative goals (with clients). The latter (collaborative) is crucial, as this is your job, but it's their world. We should tread carefully. Before you set your goals, you might also want to understand yourself, why you are doing your work. A vision and a mission can help you in this respect. When thinking about a vision, consider "what kind of world do I want to build and be in?". When considering your mission, ask "how are you going to do your part to get there?". As a patient, consumer or human rights advocate, you are working for others - it's their world. But to do that well, you should surface why you are doing this work in the first place. That's reflexive practice.

Do you find that life is getting busier and busier but you want to intentionally carve time out to make incremental steps toward your personal and professional goals? I have a useful tip: we'll call it the sticky note technique. Before you go to bed each night, write down ONE thing that you would like to accomplish the next day on a sticky note. This goal needs to be able to be written as a closed ended task that can be checked off and completed by the end of the day, such as "update my CV," and not open ended like "eat healthier." Stick it to your wall and think on that task as you go to sleep. At the end the month, look back on your wall of sticky notes. You will have completed 30 important tasks that are on your mind! #organizeyourtime

Time management benefits both me and my patients. I value their time and respect that they are seeking my experience and expertise during our time together. I am "famous" for running on time for the past 30+ years helping patients, and they love it.

Organising time is also about organising demand. Try to be clear on what your mission is, what commitments you have already made are, and what capacity you have. Over-committing in advocacy can lead to harm when you cannot support people who were relying on you.

Effective time management is synonymous in my opinion with consistency as this will boost the patients' trust levels and might even prompt them to make recommendations to others. Effective time management is also crucial for maintaining good mental health as an advocate. Organizing one's schedule and allocating breaks can prevent burnout, a common issue among patient advocates. Highlight that taking care of your mental health ensures you remain an effective advocate and can continue making a positive impact in the lives of others. I believe in flexible time management approach. Circumstances can change quickly in the healthcare field, so one should be prepared to adapt his/her schedule to handle unexpected situations.

Networking in a respectful and collaborative way is helpful, but it is important to avoid the traps of social media. Be authentic. Seek in-person collaboration, when possible. Stay true to your values.

Although on the downside it could be a source of distraction, digital networking such as online forums, LinkedIn groups, and patient advocacy-specific social media communities, is just as important as in-person networking. This will enhance connecting with a broader and diverse network of patient advocates, even those beyond ones geographic location expanding opportunities for collaboration and support. Opportunities for peer learning,an effective method for professional development is provided. One can learn from others' experiences, gain insights into new advocacy methods and techniques,stay current on industry trends,gain access to advocacy resources, such as training programs, research studies, or grant funding can be unleashed.

It is important to note that networking is not just for us personally but also serves to advance healthcare by connecting professionals from around the globe to share expertise and experiences. If we gatekeep knowledge, it perpetuates systematic inequities and does not progress patient health. When I attend neuroscience conferences and scientist-patient community building events, I prioritize sharing ideas and research because it inches the field forward and helps us gain perspective from patients and their families to understand how we, as healthcare providers and scientists, can better service and care. This way, I have the privilege of building trust with my peers worldwide and discussing thoughtful science that we can all build upon.

This is such an important topic. Even though I've been practicing medicine for over 30 years, it is vital to stay current with modern research and provide evidence-based discussions.

Exactly, since we encourage evidence based practice in healthcare care. There is the need for us to continue updating ourselves with new research findings that can help us in our service delivery in patient care

Pursue professional development opportunities by investing in ongoing education, which can take various forms, including formal training programs,conferences, webinars,or reading industry publications that cover topics related to patient advocacy, healthcare policy, current trends, or relevant treatment advances.These events offer a chance to learn from experts and other patient advocates, keeping one at the forefront of his/her field."This knowledge can be incorporated into my advocacy approach, ensuring that my efforts are patient-centered, personalized, and informed by current best practices.Additionally, these developments will enable me to respond and adapt quickly to changing circumstances, maintaining my effectiveness as an advocate.

This is essential for all who work in medicine. I take care to manage my schedule with nature breaks and always prioritize sleep. I advise everyone to find ways to decompress on a daily basis.

Self-care is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Identifying and making time regularly for activities that bring joy and peace, whether it's meditation, hiking, or painting can nurture my mental, physical, and emotional health, and will allow me to continue to advocate for patients with renewed passion and focus. The importance of social support/network in maintaining motivation as a patient advocacy consultant should be recognised. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance and preventing burnout can be challenging. Sharing my experiences, challenges, and successes with loved ones, and seeking their advice and perspective further enhance resilience and maintain my passion for advocacy."

It's crucial to address the appropriate method of handling conflicts and discrimination in the medical field. Patient advocacy is based on representing marginalized individuals. It's important to recognize that implicit bias is a significant issue within the medical field. What are the necessary steps to take when a biased decision impacts the treatment plan? When is it appropriate to take aggressive actions to rectify the situation? Lastly, everyone needs an advocate when they are in a vulnerable position, whether it's a supportive friend or partner by their side. When rights are being violated in a hospital, or if their voice is not being heard, who should they approach? What is the leadership hierarchy to follow in such situations?

It's crucial to address the appropriate method of handling conflicts and discrimination in the medical field. Patient advocacy is based on representing marginalized individuals. It's important to recognize that implicit bias is a significant issue within the medical field. What are the necessary steps to take when a biased decision impacts the treatment plan? When is it appropriate to take aggressive actions to rectify the situation? Lastly, everyone needs an advocate when they are in a vulnerable position, whether it's a supportive friend or partner by their side. When rights are being violated in a hospital, or if their voice is not being heard, who should they approach? What is the leadership hierarchy to follow in such situations?