What role do human services professionals play in advocating for patients in health care?

1 What is patient advocacy?

Patient advocacy is the act of supporting, informing, and empowering patients to make informed decisions about their health care. It involves respecting patients' autonomy, dignity, and values, and protecting them from harm or discrimination. Human services professionals, such as social workers, counselors, case managers, and community health workers, are trained to provide patient advocacy in various settings, such as hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home health agencies.

2 Why is patient advocacy important?

Patient advocacy is important because it can improve the quality and safety of health care, and reduce health disparities and inequities. By advocating for patients, human services professionals can help them access the services and resources they need, understand their rights and options, communicate their concerns and preferences, and participate in their care planning and decision making. Patient advocacy can also prevent or resolve conflicts, complaints, or ethical dilemmas that may arise between patients and health care providers or systems.

3 How do human services professionals advocate for patients?

Human services professionals advocate for patients by utilizing a variety of skills and strategies, such as building rapport, assessing strengths and needs, educating about health conditions, providing emotional support and counseling, referring to services and resources, coordinating care and communication, mediating when conflicts arise, reporting incidents that affect safety or quality of care, and advocating for policies and programs that affect health and well-being. Trust is essential to developing a relationship with patients and their families or caregivers, so professionals must strive to build trust while also assessing the patient's goals and preferences. Additionally, professionals should negotiate on behalf of patients while also evaluating how policies and programs can affect their overall health.

4 How do human services professionals collaborate with physicians?

Human services professionals collaborate with physicians and other health care providers to provide patient-centered, holistic, and integrated care. They respect and value the expertise and roles of each member of the health care team, and communicate effectively and respectfully with them. They also share relevant information and feedback about patients' needs, preferences, and outcomes, and participate in interprofessional meetings and consultations. By collaborating with physicians, human services professionals can enhance the coordination, continuity, and comprehensiveness of care, and improve patient satisfaction and outcomes.

5 What are the benefits of interprofessional collaboration in health care?

Interprofessional collaboration in health care is the process of working together with different health care professionals to provide optimal care for patients. This process is based on mutual respect, trust, communication, and shared goals, and can benefit patients, providers, and systems in various ways. For example, it can improve the quality and safety of care by reducing errors, duplication, or gaps in services. Additionally, it can enhance the patient experience by providing patient-centered, respectful, and culturally competent care. Furthermore, interprofessional collaboration can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of care by utilizing the skills and resources of each team member. It can also promote the health and well-being of patients by addressing their physical, mental, social, and emotional needs. Moreover, it can foster the learning and development of health care professionals by exchanging knowledge, skills, and feedback. Finally, it can support the innovation and improvement of health care practices and policies by incorporating evidence, best practices, and patient feedback.

6 What are the challenges and barriers to interprofessional collaboration in health care?

Interprofessional collaboration in health care can also be hindered by a variety of challenges and barriers, such as insufficient time, resources, or incentives to collaborate, a lack of clarity or agreement on roles and responsibilities, and a lack of trust or communication among team members. Other issues include a lack of knowledge or awareness of the scope and value of other professions, a lack of opportunities for interprofessional education, training, or networking, a lack of leadership or support for interprofessional collaboration, and conflicting or competing interests among team members or systems.

7 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?