The Crucial Role of Patient Advocacy in Post-COVID Healthcare

Posted on October 10, 2023

Three years after the emergence of COVID-19, one needs only to step into an urgent care center, a hospital, a rehabilitation center, or a nursing home, especially on the primary source of direct care: the nursing workforce. The pandemic exacerbated an already existing labor shortage, further stressing an already fragile U.S. healthcare system and potentially contributing to worse patient outcomes and wider health disparities.” During these past two years, I’ve observed a distinct change.

As a seasoned patient advocate, I am frequently asked, “What exactly does a patient advocate do?” My steadfast reply is: "We empower our clients with the knowledge they need to navigate healthcare decisions confidently.”

To elaborate, we equip our clients with a thorough understanding of the healthcare system, specifically focusing on their options to support their ability to make personalized and informed decisions. Our primary goal is to ensure that clients are well informed about their healthcare choices, allowing them to confidently express their care and preferences.”

As a nation, we have come to expect healthcare to be straightforward. We anticipate being treated as a priority and receiving optimal care, leading to favorable outcomes. For years, family advocates - often spouses or other family members - have vigilantly overseen the medical concerns of their loved ones. They ask questions, take notes, and advocate for a better understanding of the next steps, prognosis, and anticipated outcomes.

However, since the 1990s, healthcare costs in the United States have surged alarmingly. In response, managed care plans (insurance contracts with healthcare providers and medical facilities to provide care at reduced costs) have expanded. By 2009, we began reading about how our already complex healthcare system was also being labeled as fragmented.

Fast forward a decade, and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic compounded pre-existing barriers to accessing care in the U.S. Health care services utilization plummeted early in the pandemic as measures were taken to avoid the in-person spread. Telehealth emerged as a substitute for in-person visits. In 2021, 21% of adults either delayed or did not get care due to pandemic-related barriers. As of October 2022, inpatient care still had not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.[i]

Now, three years after the emergence of COVID-19, one needs only to step into an urgent care center, a hospital, a rehabilitation center, or a nursing home, especially on the primary source of direct care: the nursing workforce. The pandemic exacerbated an already existing labor shortage, further stressing an already fragile U.S. healthcare system and potentially contributing to worse patient outcomes and wider health disparities.”[ii]

During these past two years, I’ve observed a distinct change. Not a single working day goes by without receiving a call from overwhelmed and concerned family advocates who believe they aren’t doing enough. Every time I enter a hospital, rehabilitation center, or skilled nursing facility, I am acutely aware of how patient care has become considerably more complicated due to the combination of the number of patients requiring a high level of care (acuity) and the nurse-to-patient ratio.

In my interactions with clients, family members or care partner advocates, I hear about prolonged waits for call-bell assistance. They often tell me, “The nurses are swamped,” and “I have no idea of who or where the doctor is.” When I inquire about the well-being of the care partner, there are often tears. They bravely continue to watch over their spouse, parent, or child, often sharing that, despite the stress of waiting and watching, at least their loved one is not alone – a situation many other patients face.

Unfortunately, our fragmented and complex healthcare of 2023 has significantly impacted patient care. Despite their vast knowledge, physicians spend less time with their patients, hastily explaining diagnoses and treatment plans, leaving little room for patients to absorb or ask questions. Coordinated care between the primary physician and specialists is not happening as it once was. Medical errors have become a leading cause of death in the United States.[iii]

It is no longer sufficient for family advocates to be present when their spouse, parent, or child requires medical care. To be effective, they must navigate the healthcare system – a task they often know little about, especially during significant changes in their loved one’s medical condition or status.

Given the current state of our healthcare system, there is an undeniable need to place the patient at the center of healthcare. Management, care coordination, and outcomes focused on each patient’s needs instead of profit. For this very reason, professional patient advocates are in high demand.

Armed with knowledge about diseases and the inner workings of the healthcare system, we are adept at navigating its complexities. We know that solutions are often found in unexpected places. We facilitate communication with healthcare providers, clarify diagnoses and conditions, and identify health resources and referrals. We champion patient rights and, when necessary, advocate and navigate for health and medical solutions in complex situations. It is very easy for those with complex cases to get lost in our fragmented healthcare system.

By coordinating care, we overcome the significant lack of communication among practitioners and other care team members. This often includes ranges from ensuring our client’s health insurance covers referrals to reconciling medications to searching for the best care management options.

We sit by our client’s bedside in the hospital, overseeing care transitions during critical moments. This is essential when a patient is alone, not feeling well, uncertain of what questions to ask, or uncomfortable with the care team.

Additionally, we assist our clients in hospital admissions and discharges, facilitating transfers to nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, assisted living, or home care.

At Patient Advocates of Southwest Florida, we help complex patients before are invested in our client's care and outcomes, objectively helping to guide in making the important decisions you need to make during one of the most stressful situations you (or your loved one) will encounter throughout your life.

[i] The state of the U.S. health system in 2022 and toe outlook for 2023. Hannah Dingel, Emma Wager, Matthew McGough, et al. December 22, 2022. Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. https://bit.ly/45rXo2C
[ii] Ellen T Kurtzman, PhD, MPH, RN, FANN, Lauren V. Ghazal, PhD, FNP-BC, Shirley Girouard, PhD, RN, FAAN, et al. Nursing Workforce Challenges in the Postpandamic World. July 12, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9299514/
[iii] Thomas L. Rodziewcz; Benjamin Houseman; John E Hipskind. Medical Error Reduction and Prevention:01/04/22. Medical Error Reduction and Prevention – StatPearls – NABI Bookshelf (nih.gov).