The Critical Role of Patient And Health Care Advocates: A Special Report

In late 2022, the Coalition of Healthcare Advocacy Organizations (CHCAO) carried out a broad survey to understand the experiences of patient and health care advocates and assess their impact on the individuals they assist. The survey received responses from over 500 individuals, including 188 patients or family members, 262 advocates, and 91 other healthcare providers.

This publication presents the survey results and contextualizes the concept of patient and health care advocacy as a basis for refining the scope and practice of this professional domain.

What is the impact of a patient or health care advocate being involved in patient care?

In collaboration with The Advocate, we used an online survey to measure the impact and experience of having Advocates* assist clients and serve as part of the care team.

*See FAQ section for more detail

Read and Download the Paper

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of Advocates is the survey referring to?

The reference to advocates in this survey includes but is not limited to health and health care advocates, patient advocates, patient navigators, health or patient advisers, care managers, and case managers, as well as those who work on behalf of communities, consumers, and family caregivers (including advocacy on legislative and health policy initiatives). Advocates may work independently, in a medical setting, or on behalf of communities or disease-specific populations across organizations and agencies.

What is the Origin Story for the Survey?

This survey was initiated by the Coalition of Health Care Advocacy Organizations (CHCAO), with volunteer support by market researcher Matt Toresco of The Advocate. CHCAO recognizes a key driver in advancing the profession is actionable data demonstrating the value patient and health care advocates bring. The Advocate is an ally in patient-centric work in alignment with the mission and vision of CHCAO. There is no commercial sponsorship associated with the survey and all data is the private and confidential property of CHCAO.

How will the data be used?

Findings from the survey will be shared in the Spring of 2023 with the goal of providing patient and health care advocates actionable data to inform and support their work. CHCAO and its member organizations will use the data in our efforts to advance the profession of patient and health care advocacy through collaborative leadership.