Job description
Patient representatives help patients acquire healthcare services, understand policies and procedures, and make decisions about their health. They are responsible for coordinating the communication between patients and family members with medical and administrative staff or regulatory agencies. A patient representative often interviews patients to understand their needs and concerns, and they will also listen to and deal with any customer complaints.
Duties
- Help and direct patients to acquire healthcare services
- Assist patients in understanding policies and procedures
- Advise patients about making decisions for their health
- Coordinate communication between patients and family members with medical and administrative staff
- Interview patients to understand needs and concerns
- Listen to and deal with customer complaints
- Process billings and payments
- Advise on insurance
- Document and record details of patient communication
Skills and qualities
Job outlook
Projected growth
-2%
New jobs
-51.6k
Automation risk
55%
Career progression
Patient representatives can advance to supervisory, managerial or executive roles within their organisation. Some of these professionals also choose to change firms and work for more prestigious and high-paying companies, instead.
Working conditions
Average hours
40h/ week
Typical schedule
Shift Work
Nights, weekends and holidays
Patient representatives typically work indoors, in an office-based environment. They may work in a large room with other representatives and should, therefore, be accustomed to noisy surroundings.
These professionals spend a lot of time communicating with patients and services via telephone or email. The majority of a patient representative’s day involves sitting down as well as dealing with unhappy and complaining customers, which can be stressful.
Salary
Bottom 10%
$22k
Median
$34k
Top 10%
$55k
Annual salary estimates are based on percentile wage data collected through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey of US workers.
Qualifications and training
Education level
Undergraduate
Bachelor’s degree in health education or health promotion
Study time
4 years
To become a patient representative, you’ll generally need a bachelor’s degree in an area such as health education or health promotion.
Certification, though not always required, can be particularly useful in your job search efforts. Check the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) for certification opportunities.
Sources
American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) Bureau of Labor Statistics Oxford Martin School O*NET OnLineLast Updated: Wednesday, November 2, 2022
