What Does a Patient Advocate Do?

Over the last few years, I have found numerous individuals who have shared their journeys as patients over social media. Because Twitter is a platform that has no barrier to entry—limited information is needed to participate, or even lurk for that matter—it is an excellent source for research, engagement, and sharing. It is my favorite social media platform, and I have found it to be excellent for two themes: healthcare and digital health. Many of these Twitter users who share their patient journeys would in fact be called or refer to themselves as ‘patient advocates.’ But what does a patient advocate do?  To get an idea of their wonderful contributions to our ongoing conversations in healthcare, I have highlighted these accounts.

5 LA-Based Patient Advocates You Absolutely Must Follow

As I have developed my account Digital Health LA, I have discovered many different feeds related to health and healthcare, but the ones that stand out to me are related to patient advocacy, patient experience, and patient journeys. I find the authors behind these accounts to be very brave and courageous in breaking down barriers and stigmas related to illness, healthcare, and patient lives as they cope with illness.   As their audience, we get a first hand view of their battle, and how they are coping.  Collectively, these Twitter accounts can help answer the question ‘what does a patient advocate do?’ Unless an account has been designated as private, anyone can sign up for a Twitter account and view another account, so essentially, a patient’s life can be immediately public and viewable. A big opening for vulnerabilities, and yet, quite a few excel at bringing voice around illness.

These five Twitter accounts are just a few patient advocate accounts that I admire, and these influencers have had great impact on the patient community in Los Angeles, as well as the nation. I look forward to their feeds every day.

Hurt Blogger

Julie Flygare

LA Lupus Lady

Martine Ehrenclou

Liza Bernstein

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