What is a professional patient advocate, and why might you need one?

Family members can offer invaluable support to patients, but a trained advocate can provide an objective perspective as well as knowledge of resources that families may lack.

By: Jennifer Schlinger, University of North Dakota, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 6, 2026

Words: 1,515

Last Updated: 1 week, 4 days ago

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By Jennifer Schlinger, University of North Dakota

Imagine your mom has just been discharged from the hospital to a rehabilitation center after hip replacement surgery. She has the paperwork, the facility’s address – and a long list of questions. Will her insurance cover her entire rehab stay? Does she have enough pain medication until she gets settled? Will the hospital transfer her prescriptions? Are they accurate?

Scenarios like this are exactly what patient advocates are trained …

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