The Vital Importance of Patient Advocacy
Navigating the healthcare system can often feel like an uphill battle. Complex protocols, medical jargon, fragmented care, and systemic barriers frequently leave patients feeling overwhelmed, unheard, and disempowered. This is where patient advocacy becomes not just important — but vital.
As a certified health coach and patient advocate, my mission is to help individuals shift from struggling against the system to flowing with it. Rather than being passive recipients or adversaries of healthcare services, patients can become empowered partners in their own care journey, equipped with skills that foster collaboration, clarity, and confidence.
Why Patient Advocacy Matters
Patient advocacy is about amplifying your voice in healthcare settings — ensuring your needs, values, and preferences are understood and respected. Multiple studies have demonstrated that effective advocacy correlates with improved health outcomes:
According to a 2017 study published in Patient Education and Counseling, patients who receive coaching and advocacy support report higher satisfaction with care and better adherence to treatment plans (Krebs et al., 2017).
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) highlights that patient engagement (a core component of advocacy) can reduce hospital readmissions by up to 30% (AHRQ, 2014).
Research from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement shows that when patients are actively involved in decision-making processes, complication rates drop by 21% on average (IHI, 2018).
In short: being your own best advocate isn't just empowering — it saves lives.
Health Coaching as a Form of Advocacy
In my practice, health coaching bridges the gap between clinical care and personal empowerment. It equips you with practical tools tailored to your unique challenges:
Communication skills: Learn how to ask clear questions, express concerns effectively, and negotiate treatment options.
Self-awareness: Understand your body's signals and emotional responses to navigate appointments with calm presence.
System navigation: Gain insights into insurance protocols, referrals, medication management, and follow-up care.
Emotional support: Develop resilience strategies for facing setbacks or systemic frustrations without burnout.
Statistically speaking, health coaching has been shown to improve chronic disease management outcomes by 39%, according to a 2020 meta-analysis in The Journal of Integrative Medicine (Wolever et al., 2020). Patients report reduced anxiety around medical visits and greater confidence in managing their health journey.
My Approach: Flowing With the System
Through my work as a health coach and patient advocate, I help people cultivate these skills so they no longer feel like they're "fighting" the system. Instead, they learn how to flow alongside and within it; understanding its rhythms while staying rooted in their own needs.
This approach recognizes that while healthcare systems can be imperfect, resistance often leads to exhaustion. Flowing means:
Accepting what you cannot change right away
Identifying leverage points where your voice holds power
Building partnerships with providers based on mutual respect
Creating routines that support consistent self-care
Cultivating patience and compassion for yourself amid complexity
Learning effective communication skills to prevent your needs from being lost in translation
Resources for Patient Advocacy & Health Coaching
If you're interested in exploring this vital work further or want practical tools to begin advocating for yourself today, here are some valuable resources:
Greater National Advocates — Explore profiles of professional advocates here (replace 'yourprofilelink' with your actual profile URL)
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) — Guide on Patient Engagement
National Patient Advocate Foundation — Advocacy Tools & Support
Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) — How Patients Can Improve Care
Let’s Transform Your Healthcare Journey Together
If you’re tired of feeling frustrated or powerless within the healthcare system, know that support is available. With guidance grounded in evidence-based practices and compassionate coaching, you can transform the experience into one where you feel heard, seen, and confident.
I welcome you to connect with me through my profile on Greater National Advocates:
Lauren Freedman | Greater National Advocates Profile. You can also learn more about me and my work ethos at chroniccoachlauren.com <3
Together we can cultivate skills that turn overwhelm into calm capability — so you can show up as your fullest self in every appointment… and in every aspect of life.
With warmth and dedication,
Lauren xoxo
NBC-HWC Certified Health Coach | Patient Advocate
References
Krebs P., Prochaska J.O., Rossi J.S., et al. (2017). A meta-analysis of computer-tailored interventions for health behavior change: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Patient Education and Counseling, 100(4), 673–681. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2017.06.005
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). (2014). Guide on Patient Engagement Improving Safety & Quality Through Patient Engagement. Retrieved from https://www.ahrq.gov/patient-safety/resources/resources/patient-engagement.html
Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). (2018). Engaging Patients & Families in the Care Process Improves Outcomes & Satisfaction Rates - Improvement Stories & Resources from IHI’s Open School Available Online at http://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/ImprovementStories/EngagingPatientsandFamilies.aspx
Wolever R.Q., Simmons L.A., Sforzo G.A., et al. (2020). A systematic review of the literature on health and wellness coaching: Defining a key behavioral intervention in healthcare delivery. The Journal of Integrative Medicine, 18(1), 9–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joim.2020.01.002