Role and Responsibilities for Volunteer Medical Advocates

The advocate’s primary role is to improve communication between the individual in need and their doctors by helping the client to express concerns, ask questions, and obtain simple and clear answers from the doctor.

An effective volunteer is committed, knowledgeable, and assertive - in a positive way -  and a good listener. 

The advocate is matched up with an individual in need, many of whom live in isolated situations through the loss of spouses or family living at too great a distance to help with medical appointments. Advocates reach out and stay in contact with the client through phone calls and/or visits.  This simple act greatly lessens the person’s sense of isolation. 

Trust is an important part of any relationship.  The advocate strives to develop a sense of trust with the client, while getting to know them as individuals, along with their personal and current health history.  Many of our clients have wonderful personal histories and stories to share.

Most individuals get anxious when going to a medical appointment, especially as they try to remember what it was they wanted to talk to the doctor about.  When necessary, advocates help with continuity of care by making the recommended appointments and following through of scheduled testing or treatment for the client.

Advocates help the client prepare for their appointment by discussing any concerns or questions clients may have for the doctor, and prepare a prioritized list of those items ahead of time.

During the meeting, advocates take notes of what is going on, and take the time to be sure nothing was missed or forgotten on the list.

If need be, advocates ask clarifying questions to be certain the client understands the doctors’ answers, or will request further information such as printed brochures or information sheets to help the client understand.

Through the client’s better understanding of their doctor’s orders, advocates hopefully enable and encourage the clients to take better care of their health with proper follow through of the prescribed regimen.  At Your Side advocates provide the time and the patience to repeat, perhaps more than once, what needs to be said to clarify the doctors’ instructions.    Advocates relinquish all decision making responsibilities to the client, while making sure they have a good understanding all of the choices and issues.

Advocates must maintain all required personal and HIPAA confidentiality rules.