How do you balance educating and mediating with healthcare providers?

1 Know your role

The first step to balancing education and mediation is to understand your role and scope of practice as a patient advocate. Depending on your training, certification, and employer, your role may vary from providing general guidance and referrals to representing patients in legal or ethical issues. You should be clear about what you can and cannot do, and communicate that to your patients and providers. You should also be aware of the laws and regulations that govern your profession, such as confidentiality, consent, and liability. Knowing your role will help you avoid confusion, conflict, and potential harm.

2 Educate with empathy

One of your main tasks as a patient advocate is to educate both patients and providers about their rights, responsibilities, options, and outcomes. However, education is not just about delivering facts and figures. It is also about understanding the perspectives, emotions, and needs of your audience. You should educate with empathy, meaning that you should listen actively, acknowledge feelings, validate concerns, and tailor your message to the individual. You should also use clear, simple, and respectful language, and avoid jargon, assumptions, or judgments. Educating with empathy will help you build trust, rapport, and mutual understanding.

3 Mediate with neutrality

Another key skill as a patient advocate is to mediate between patients and providers when there are differences or disputes. Mediation is not about taking sides or imposing solutions. It is about facilitating dialogue, clarifying issues, identifying interests, and exploring options. You should mediate with neutrality, meaning that you should remain impartial, objective, and respectful. You should also avoid giving advice, expressing opinions, or influencing decisions. You should focus on helping the parties find common ground, reach agreement, and resolve conflict. Mediating with neutrality will help you maintain credibility, integrity, and professionalism.

4 Collaborate with respect

A final tip to balance education and mediation is to collaborate with respect. As a patient advocate, you are part of a multidisciplinary team that includes patients, providers, and other stakeholders. You should collaborate with respect, meaning that you should recognize the expertise, roles, and contributions of each member. You should also communicate effectively, share information, and coordinate actions. You should foster a culture of respect, cooperation, and accountability. Collaborating with respect will help you achieve better outcomes, quality, and satisfaction for everyone involved.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?