Why Advocates Matter for Your Care

What a healthcare advocate does

A healthcare advocate is a trusted partner who helps you prepare for visits, understand choices, ask questions, and follow your plan. An advocate can be a family member, friend, caregiver, or a trained professional. The goal is not to replace your medical team but to help you participate more fully so decisions match your goals and values. Understood Care advocates provide personalized support and coordination tailored to your needs and you can get started by calling (646) 904-4027 or signing up at https://app.understoodcare.com.

Everyday tasks an advocate can handle

• Gather your questions and concerns before visits
• Join appointments to take notes and help you ask clear questions
• Keep an updated medication list and share it with your care team
• Track test results, referrals, and follow up tasks
• Coordinate transportation, scheduling, and reminders
• Help you access records and patient portals
• Support you emotionally when choices feel stressful

When a professional advocate is helpful

Consider professional support if you live with multiple conditions, take many medicines, manage frequent referrals, face language or health literacy barriers, or have had repeat emergency visits or readmissions. Trained navigators and care coordinators are skilled at removing barriers and aligning many moving parts of care.

How advocates improve safety and outcomes

Safer care through real partnership

Healthcare is safer when patients and families are treated as partners. Engaging patients and care partners helps prevent problems like falls and communication errors and can improve quality. Advocates make it easier to speak up, clarify instructions, and use teach back so you feel confident about next steps.

Fewer avoidable readmissions during care transitions

The time around hospital discharge is high risk. Evidence based discharge models show that coaching patients and caregivers, reconciling medicines, scheduling timely follow up, and sharing a simple plan can reduce readmissions. An advocate helps you prepare questions, understand warning signs, and confirm that the home plan is clear and doable.

Better understanding with focused questions

Simple frameworks such as Ask Me 3 guide you to ask what your main problem is, what you need to do, and why it matters. Advocates can use this approach during visits and at discharge so you leave with clear, prioritized action steps.

Medication safety and reconciliation

Advocates help you keep a current medication list, bring it to every visit, and review changes after hospital stays. This supports medication reconciliation, which reduces mistakes, interactions, and duplicate therapy. When something is confusing or side effects show up, an advocate helps you contact the care team quickly and share specific details.

Navigation support improves access and equity

Patient navigation programs in many settings, including cancer care and primary care, show improvements in access to screening, timely treatment, and selected outcomes, especially for people facing complex barriers. Advocates help with appointments, transportation, childcare arrangements, and paperwork so plans move forward without delays.

Advocates and your rights

Who can attend visits and receive information

Federal privacy rules allow your clinicians to share information that is directly relevant to your care with family, friends, or other people you identify as involved in your care, unless you object. You can also designate a personal representative who has the same rights to information as you. Knowing these options helps you put your advocate in the room, in person or by phone, when it matters.

Your access to records

You have a right to timely access to your medical information. Federal rules on information blocking are designed to ensure patients can get electronic health information. An advocate can help you request notes, test results, and visit summaries, keep them organized, and share them with your other clinicians when needed.

Preparing to use an advocate

Before the visit

• List your top three goals and questions
• Write a brief symptom timeline, including what helps and what makes it worse
• Gather your medication list including dose and schedule
• Confirm whether you want your advocate to listen, take notes, or speak for you

During the visit

• Start with your goals for today
• Ask for plain language explanations and use teach back to confirm your understanding
• Review next steps, follow up plans, and who to call with questions
• Confirm any changes to medicines, doses, or timing

After the visit and between visits

• Update your medication list and calendar with follow up and lab dates
• Watch for warning signs that need a call
• Share visit notes with other members of your care team
• Ask for help if transportation, cost, or other barriers might delay your plan

An Understood Care advocate can help with all of this by preparing your notes, joining the visit if you wish, and coordinating follow up so your plan stays on track.

Choosing an advocate

Get matched with a trained healthcare advocate who coordinates your care, prepares you for visits, reviews medicines, and helps with benefits. Start online or by phone. Ongoing support by video or phone from home:

• 🧭 Quick start
  Book your first visit online or by phone. Share a few details so we understand your needs and preferences.
• 📞 Welcome call
  Tell us your goals, symptoms, and current medicines. With your permission we gather records and pair you with the right Understood Care advocate and clinician.
• 🧩 Personalized plan
  Your team creates a clear plan, sets communication preferences, and coordinates with your clinicians, pharmacy, and health plan. We document everything and keep your lists up to date.
• 🔄 Ongoing support
  Get regular check ins by phone or video, visit preparation, medication reviews, benefits help, and follow through on referrals. We share updates with your care team so nothing falls through the cracks.

Choosing your advocate:

We match you with a trained advocate based on your condition, language, and preferences. Your advocate can join visits, ask questions you approve, coordinate across clinics, help with benefits, and arrange services at home.

Ready to begin:
Sign up at https://app.understoodcare.com or call (646) 904-4027

How Understood Care advocates support you

Advocates at Understood Care can coordinate complex care, prepare you for appointments, organize communications across providers, and help with costs and benefits. If you need transportation for visits, help reviewing bills, or support arranging home care, an advocate can take those tasks off your plate. If you are living with a chronic condition, we help you keep a steady routine of checkups, tests, and follow up so small issues do not turn into bigger ones.

Related pages you may find helpful include Care Coordination, Appointments, Transportation Help, Analyze Bills, Communication, Home Care, and Chronic Care.

When to seek urgent help

Call your clinic’s urgent line or 911 for signs of medical emergencies such as trouble breathing, chest pain, severe weakness, or confusion. An advocate can help with planning and coordination, but emergencies need immediate medical care.

Related Reading

• Home Care - Learn More
• How Advocates Help You Find Your Best Health Plan
• Your Advocate. Anywhere. Anytime.
• How advocates check in-network providers

FAQ

• What is a healthcare advocate?
  A healthcare advocate is a trusted partner who helps you prepare for visits, ask clear questions, understand your options, and follow through on your plan. They do not replace your doctors. Instead, they help you participate more fully so your care matches your goals and values. Advocates can be family, friends, caregivers, or trained professionals like those at Understood Care.
• What everyday tasks can an advocate help with?
  An advocate can gather your questions before visits, join appointments to take notes, help you ask questions, keep an updated medication list, track test results and referrals, coordinate transportation and schedules, help you use patient portals, and provide emotional support when decisions feel stressful.
• When should I consider working with a professional advocate?
  A professional advocate is especially helpful if you have multiple conditions, take many medicines, see several specialists, have repeat hospital or emergency visits, face language or health literacy barriers, or feel overwhelmed by insurance and paperwork. Navigators and care coordinators are trained to untangle these challenges.
• How do advocates improve safety and health outcomes?
  Advocates make it easier for you to speak up, ask questions, and understand instructions. This reduces errors, helps prevent falls and medication problems, and supports shared decision making. During hospital discharge, they can help you review medicines, understand warning signs, and arrange follow up, which lowers the chance of avoidable readmissions.
• How can an advocate help with communication during visits?
  Before visits, an advocate helps you list your top questions and organize your story. During visits, they can remind you to ask what your main problem is, what you need to do, and why it matters. They support teach back by helping you repeat the plan in your own words so you and your clinician can correct any confusion on the spot.
• What can an advocate do for medication safety?
  An advocate can keep one current medication list, bring it to every visit, and help review changes after hospital stays. They help spot possible interactions, clarify confusing instructions, and contact the care team quickly if side effects or problems appear. This supports medication reconciliation and lowers the risk of errors.
• How do advocates help with hospital discharge and transitions of care?
  Around discharge, an advocate can review your discharge instructions with you, confirm which medicines to stop and start, identify warning signs that need a call, help schedule follow up appointments, and make sure you understand the home plan. They also help share discharge summaries with your other clinicians so everyone is aligned.
• What rights do I have to involve an advocate in my care?
  You can choose who is involved in your care. Federal privacy rules allow clinicians to share care related information with family, friends, or others you identify as involved, unless you object. You can also name a personal representative with access similar to your own. Your advocate can help you complete the forms your clinic or hospital requires.
• Can an advocate help me access my medical records?
  Yes. You have a right to timely access to your medical information. An advocate can help you request visit notes, test results, and discharge summaries, organize them, and share them with your other clinicians when needed. They can also help you set up and use patient portals for secure messaging and record access.
• How should I prepare to use an advocate effectively?
  Before a visit, write down your top three questions, a short symptom timeline, and an updated medication list. Decide whether you want your advocate mainly to listen, take notes, or speak for you when needed. Tell your care team that your advocate will be present in person, by phone, or by video.
• What should my advocate and I focus on during the visit?
  Start by sharing your main goal for the visit. Ask for plain language explanations. Use teach back by repeating the plan in your own words. Confirm any changes to medicines and timing, next tests, referrals, and what symptoms mean you should call. Your advocate can take notes so you can focus on the conversation.
• What happens after the visit and between visits?
  After the visit, your advocate can help update your medication list, add follow up dates to your calendar, watch for missing results, and contact the office if something does not arrive on time. They can also share visit notes with other members of your care team and help if cost, transportation, or other barriers might delay your plan.
• How does Understood Care match me with an advocate?
  Understood Care matches you with a trained advocate based on your conditions, language, and preferences. Your advocate can join visits, help you ask approved questions, coordinate between clinics, support benefits and coverage issues, and arrange services at home. You can start at https://app.understoodcare.com or call (646) 904 4027.
• What ongoing support can I expect from an Understood Care advocate?
  You can expect regular check ins by phone or video, visit preparation, medication reviews, coordination of referrals and tests, help with bills and benefits, and support arranging transportation or home care. Your advocate shares updates with your clinicians so nothing falls through the cracks.
• When should I call my clinician or emergency services instead of my advocate?
  Call your clinic’s urgent line or 911 for signs of emergency such as trouble breathing, chest pain, severe weakness, confusion, or a possible stroke or heart attack. An advocate helps with planning, communication, and follow up, but emergencies always need immediate medical care.

References

• AHRQ. Guide to Patient and Family Engagement in Hospital Quality and Safety. https://www.ahrq.gov/patient-safety/patients-families/engagingfamilies/guide.html AHRQ
• AHRQ. Patient Engagement and Safety Primer. https://psnet.ahrq.gov/primer/patient-engagement-and-safety PSNet
• AHRQ. Strategy 4. Care Transitions From Hospital to Home. IDEAL Discharge Planning. https://www.ahrq.gov/patient-safety/patients-families/engagingfamilies/strategy4/index.html AHRQ
• AHRQ. Re Engineered Discharge RED Toolkit. https://www.ahrq.gov/patient-safety/settings/hospital/red/toolkit/index.html AHRQ
• Coleman EA, et al. The Care Transitions Intervention. Arch Intern Med. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/410933 JAMA Network
• Voss R, et al. The Care Transitions Intervention in real world practice. Arch Intern Med. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1105851 JAMA Network
• NCBI Bookshelf. Making Healthcare Safer IV. Patient and Family Engagement. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK597671/ NCBI
• MedlinePlus. Patient Rights. https://medlineplus.gov/patientrights.html MedlinePlus
• HHS Office for Civil Rights. Disclosures to Family and Friends. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/faq/disclosures-to-family-and-friends/index.html HHS.gov
• HHS Office for Civil Rights. Family Members and Friends. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individuals/family-members-friends/index.html HHS.gov
• CMS. HIPAA Basics for Providers. Sharing Patient Information with Family Members and Others. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mln909001-hipaa-basics-providers-privacy-security-breach-notification-rules.pdf CMS
• ONC. Information Blocking. https://www.healthit.gov/topic/information-blocking HealthIT.gov
• ONC. Cures Act Final Rule. https://www.healthit.gov/topic/oncs-cures-act-final-rule HealthIT.gov
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Ask Me 3. https://www.ihi.org/library/tools/ask-me-3-good-questions-your-good-health ihi.org
• Budde H, et al. The role of patient navigators in ambulatory care. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8555047/ PMC
• Chan RJ, et al. Patient navigation across the cancer care continuum. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37358040/ PubMed
• Mayo Clinic Health System. Safety and Quality. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/for-patients-and-visitors/safety-and-quality Mayo Clinic Health System
• Cleveland Clinic. Patient Rights and Responsibilities. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/about/website/patients-rights-responsibilities Cleveland Clinic

This content is for education only and does not replace professional medical advice. If you have new weakness, severe pain, fever with confusion, chest pain, or trouble breathing, call emergency services.