What is a patient representative/ patient advocate/ patient liaison?
1. "Patient representatives are institutionally employed advocates by hospitals to comply with 1990 Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JACHO) requirements that every organization have established and public grievance procedures" (Sullivan, T,(1998). Collaboration: A Health Care Imperative. pp.578).

2. A patient representative or health care professional that is linked to a cause (Sullivan, T, (1998). Collaboration: A Health Care Imperative. pp.578).

3. “A person who helps a patient work with others who have an effect on the patient's health, including doctors, insurance companies, employers, case managers, and lawyers. A patient advocate helps resolve issues about health care, medical bills, and job discrimination related to a patient's medical condition.” National Cancer Institute: Dictionary of Cancer Terms

4. The term and the position existed in hospitals long before the Joint Commission ever mentioned us. It was the original term for our role in hospitals and had to do with legislation passed in the 1960s and the need which many believed for oversight of patient rights in large urban teaching hospitals. The idea was to have the patient have a spokesperson to the hospital and its staff about needs and wishes. With the new entitlements of 1964 and 1965 under the Social Security Act, many people had access to heath care for the first time because the public money was there for it. The 1970s was the era in which they ( i.e. patient reps, advocates, etc) began in the United States and it came out of all the public funding of the 1960s. An important milestone was the American Hospital Association's patient bill of rights (1979, approved by the Senate of the AHA); also, the National Rehabilitation Act, around 1972. It was well into the 1980s that JACHO even had a patient bill of rights in the code or called for a hospital to have a person to act on behalf of the patient. By that time, many states had added a patient bill of rights in their public health codes. The American Hospital Association embraced patient advocates/representatives as a personal membership group long before Joint Commission recognized us as existing. JACHO was well behind the nation in this area.
..... Ellen Martin, Senior Patient Liaison, Harris County Hospital District

What is a health professional?
"Health professionals, such as nurses and MDs, are employed by or compensated by payer organizations, yet consider patient advocacy to be a core value of their professions" (Sullivan, T, (1998). Collaboration: A Health Care Imperative. pp.578).

What is patient advocacy?
1. “Patient advocacy involves the acts of a patient advocate that encounters day-to-day cases where real people with real needs who are being denied access to professionally determined health care services” (Slomski 1994).

2. ” Patient advocacy refers to speaking on behalf of a patient in order to protect their rights and help them obtain needed information and services. The role of patient advocate is frequently assumed by nurses, social workers, and other healthcare providers. Some hospitals, health insurance companies, and other healthcare organizations employ people specifically to assume this role.” From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What is TAPS relationship to Texas Hospital Association (THA)?
Membership in TAPS does not make one a member of THA. TAPS is considered an affiliate organization of THA and members receive a subscription to THA’s bi-monthly magazine Texas Hospitals.

What is TAPS relationship to the Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy (SHCA)?
TAPS as an organization is the state chapter of SHCA, which is the national organization. Membership in TAPS does not make one a member of SHCA. There is definite advantage to membership in both organizations. For more information on membership in SHCA, click here.

What is the current membership of TAPS?
152 members through August, 2007.
Our goal is to reach Patient Advocates in all areas of Texas so they may benefit from our excellent educational programs and networking opportunities. Become involved, by spreading the word to your colleagues and other institutions within your organization’s network or system and encouraging them to join.

What are the advantages of joining TAPS?
Click Here

Are there currently any college programs that offer a major in Patient Representation?
Sarah Lawrence College established the nation’s first—and, to date, only—master’s program in Health Advocacy. For more information, visit the following website: http://www.slc.edu/health-advocacy/index.php

What opportunities are there for me to be an involved member of TAPS?
Membership Committee
Sponsorship Committee
Technology/Communications Committee
Educations Committee

Regional Meetings