How Healthcare Advocates Help with Clear Healthcare Communication

Why clear communication matters

When you understand your diagnosis, treatment options, and next steps, you can make informed decisions and feel more confident in your care. National Institutes of Health guidance encourages open dialogue, asking questions until information is clear, and using plain language to support better choices and safer care.

MedlinePlus also emphasizes being honest about symptoms and asking for written instructions when needed. These simple steps can reduce confusion, support shared decisions, and prevent avoidable errors.

What a healthcare advocate does for you

Plan and prepare
Your advocate helps you organize your concerns, list your medications, and prepare focused questions for the visit. The free AHRQ Question Builder is one helpful tool for making a personalized list you can bring to your appointment.

Make calls and write messages on your behalf
From the video script with Debbie at Understood Care
You shared that being on the phone with Social Security, your insurance, doctors, or specialists can be time consuming and overwhelming. With your permission, your advocate calls to get the information you need, often saving you from hour long hold times. We relay the results back to you, confirm next steps, and create a plan so your needs are met and your voice is heard. For emails, we draft the message to the agency or provider and include you so you can see exactly what is being communicated on your behalf. Our website is understoodcare.com and our number is (646) 904-4027 if you would like to get signed up today.

Follow up and close the loop
After the visit or call, your advocate reviews the plan with you, checks what was authorized or scheduled, and follows up with the provider if anything is unclear.

Keep everyone on the same page
If you see multiple clinicians, your advocate shares appropriate updates so instructions do not conflict and tasks do not fall through the cracks.

Support you can expect before, during, and after appointments

Before your visit

• Clarify top questions and goals
• Gather your medication list and key history
• Confirm transportation or accessibility needs
• Send any advance questions through your portal when appropriate

During your visit

• Take notes so you can focus on the conversation
• Ask clarifying questions with you if something is unclear
• Encourage the teach back method, where the clinician invites you to repeat the plan in your own words to confirm understanding. The teach back approach is supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and improves comprehension.

After your visit

• Review the plan, referrals, and timelines
• Help schedule follow up testing or visits
• Draft messages or call the office to resolve open questions
• Track action items so nothing is missed

Email, phone, and portal communication made easier

Advocates can draft clear, respectful messages, confirm who should receive them, and copy you so everything stays transparent. With your permission, we can call agencies and provider offices to obtain status updates, authorizations, or records, then summarize what we learned and the next step.

For telehealth or video visits, we help you prepare technology, list concerns, and outline questions to keep the conversation focused and productive.

Involving family and caregivers while protecting your privacy

You choose who is involved in your care. Federal privacy rules permit providers to share information related to your care with family or friends you identify, and a legally recognized personal representative can generally act on your behalf. Your advocate helps you use simple permission statements or forms so the right people can receive updates while your preferences remain respected.

Speaking up is encouraged and supported

Reputable safety programs urge patients and advocates to ask questions, voice concerns, and confirm understanding. The Joint Commission’s Speak Up program offers easy to follow tips that align with how our advocates support you. We help you frame questions, request plain language, and pause the conversation when something needs clarification.

Practical tools and techniques your advocate will use

Teach back made simple
We invite the clinician to share important steps, then help you explain the plan in your own words. If anything is off, we ask for clarification on the spot. This improves comprehension and adherence.

Plain language and focused questions
We translate medical terms into everyday words and prioritize the questions that matter most to you. We also help you request written instructions or a visit summary.

Organized information
We build a concise packet with your diagnosis list, current medications, allergies, key test results, and contact details for your care team. This helps every clinician start with a clear picture.

Language and accessibility support
If you prefer an interpreter, larger print materials, or other accommodations, we help you request these in advance. Clear communication includes meeting your language and accessibility needs.

From the video script to your real life plan

Debbie from Understood Care explained
We will email the agency or provider and include you so you see exactly what is being communicated. For calls that can take an hour or more, we get your permission, call to obtain the information you need, then relay it back to you so we can move forward with a plan. The goal is that your needs are met and your voice is heard while you do not have to spend the day on the phone.

That is how our team works every day. You stay informed without the stress of long hold times or confusing threads. If you want to get started, visit understoodcare.com or call (646) 904-4027 .

What you can do today

• Write down your top three questions and bring them to every visit. The AHRQ Question Builder can help you create a list in minutes.
• Bring or upload an up to date medication list and any new test results.
• Ask the clinician to use teach back so you can confirm the plan in your own words.
• Choose who you want involved and tell the office they may share updates with that person.
• If anything is unclear after the visit, call us. We will follow up and close the loop.

Cross references to Understood Care services

• Communication support https://understoodcare.com/care-types/communication
• Care coordination for multi clinician care https://understoodcare.com/care-types/care-coordination
• Help with appointments https://understoodcare.com/care-types/appointments
• Get started with an advocate https://app.understoodcare.com/

How to reach us

Understood Care is completely virtual. Call (646) 904-4027 or visit https://app.understoodcare.com/ to meet a care advocate who can support you with calls, emails, appointments, and follow up so you feel confident and heard.

FAQ

• Why does clear communication with my care team matter so much?
  When you understand your diagnosis, treatment options, and next steps, you can make informed decisions and feel more confident in your care. Guidance from the National Institutes of Health encourages asking questions until things are clear and using plain language so you and your clinicians can make safer, better choices together. Being honest about your symptoms and asking for written instructions can reduce confusion, support shared decisions, and prevent avoidable errors.
• What does a healthcare advocate actually do for me?
  A healthcare advocate helps you get ready for visits, communicates with clinics and agencies on your behalf, and makes sure plans are followed through. They help you organize your concerns, list your medications, and prepare focused questions. With your permission, they can call Social Security, your insurance, doctors, or specialists, then report back in plain language so you know what was said and what happens next. They can also draft emails or portal messages to your providers and include you so everything stays transparent.
• How does an advocate help before my appointments?
  Before a visit, your advocate helps you clarify your top questions and goals, gather your medication list and key medical history, and make sure transportation or accessibility needs are addressed. They can send advance questions through your patient portal when appropriate so the clinician is ready. Tools like the AHRQ Question Builder can be used to create a personalized question list that you bring to the appointment.
• What support can I expect during my appointments?
  During a visit, an advocate can take notes so you can focus on the conversation. If something is unclear, they can help you ask follow up questions in a respectful way. They encourage the “teach back” method, where the clinician asks you to repeat the plan in your own words. This helps catch misunderstandings in the moment and is a communication approach supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
• How does an advocate help after the appointment is over?
  After your visit, your advocate goes over the plan with you, reviews any referrals and timelines, and helps schedule follow up tests or appointments. If instructions are confusing or something seems missing, they can call or message the office to clarify details. They also track action items so tasks like lab work, imaging, or specialist visits do not fall through the cracks.
• Can an advocate help with email, phone, and patient portal messages?
  Yes. Advocates can draft clear, respectful messages to your clinicians or agencies, confirm who should receive them, and copy you so you see exactly what is being communicated. With your permission, they can call offices to check on authorizations, referrals, records, and results, then summarize what they learned. For telehealth visits, they help you prepare your technology, list your concerns, and outline questions so the video visit is focused and productive.
• How are family members and caregivers included while my privacy is protected?
  You choose who is involved in your care. With your permission, your care team can share relevant information with family or friends you identify. A legally recognized personal representative can usually act on your behalf. Your advocate helps you use simple permission statements or forms so the right people can receive updates and support you, while your privacy and preferences remain respected.
• Is it really okay to speak up and ask a lot of questions?
  Yes. Reputable safety programs encourage patients and advocates to speak up, ask questions, and confirm understanding. The Joint Commission’s Speak Up program is one example of this approach. Your advocate can help you phrase questions, ask for plain language explanations, and pause the conversation if something is not clear. The goal is for you to feel safe, informed, and respected.
• What communication tools and techniques will my advocate use?
  Your advocate uses teach back to confirm instructions, translates medical terms into everyday words, and focuses on the questions that matter most to you. They help you request written instructions or visit summaries, and they organize your diagnosis list, medications, allergies, key test results, and care team contacts in one concise packet. If you need an interpreter, larger print materials, or other accommodations, they help request these ahead of time so communication fits your needs.
• What did Debbie from Understood Care describe in the video?
  Debbie explained that many people feel overwhelmed by long hold times and complex calls with agencies and providers. With your permission, the advocate makes those calls for you, gathers the information you need, and then comes back to you with a clear summary and plan. For emails, they include you on every message so you can see exactly what is being said on your behalf. The goal is that your needs are met, your voice is heard, and you do not have to spend your day on the phone.
• What can I start doing today to communicate more clearly at visits?
  You can write down your top three questions before every visit and bring them along, keep an up to date medication list and share it at each appointment, and ask your clinician to use teach back so you can repeat the plan in your own words. Decide who you want involved in your care and tell the office they may share updates with that person. If anything is unclear after a visit, you can call an advocate to help follow up and close the loop.
• How can Understood Care support my communication and coordination needs?
  Understood Care offers virtual advocates who help with communication, care coordination, and appointments. They work with you by phone and online to organize calls, emails, and visit plans so you feel confident and heard. You can reach an advocate by calling the listed number or signing up through the online portal, and they will walk with you through calls, appointments, and follow up steps.

References

• https://www.nih.gov/institutes-nih/nih-office-director/office-communications-public-liaison/clear-communication/talking-your-doctor-or-health-care-provider
• https://medlineplus.gov/talkingwithyourdoctor.html
• https://www.ahrq.gov/patient-safety/reports/engage/teachback.html
• https://www.ahrq.gov/es/questions/question-builder/online.html
• https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/faq/disclosures-to-family-and-friends/index.html
• https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance/personal-representatives/index.html
• https://www.jointcommission.org/en-us/knowledge-library/for-patients/speak-ups

This content is educational and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalized care.