Patient relations manager vs patient care advocate

The differences between patient relations managers and patient care advocates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a patient relations manager and a patient care advocate. Additionally, a patient relations manager has an average salary of $43,633, which is higher than the $34,043 average annual salary of a patient care advocate.

The top three skills for a patient relations manager include patients, schedule appointments and patient care. The most important skills for a patient care advocate are patients, patient care, and PCA.

Patient relations manager vs patient care advocate overview

	Patient Relations Manager	Patient Care Advocate
Yearly salary	$43,633	$34,043
Hourly rate	$20.98	$16.37
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	77,096	126,400
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

What does a patient relations manager do?

Patient Relations Managers serve as the front desk personnel of offices or organizations. They handle the comments, questions, and any concerns associated with patients. It is their responsibility to manage patient relations as well as their complaint activity. Also, they ensure timely and thorough resolution of patient's concerns, complaints, and other issues.

What does a patient care advocate do?

A patient care advocate specializes in providing support to patients, guiding them throughout the healthcare system. Their responsibilities include educating patients on the treatment and care options available, coordinating with physicians and facility administrators, liaising with insurance companies to resolve issues, and referring patients to other services and programs. They may also come with patients during appointments and keep them company on hospital stays. Moreover, a patient care advocate must help patients understand their rights and process insurance claims.

Patient relations manager vs patient care advocate salary

Patient relations managers and patient care advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Relations Manager	Patient Care Advocate
Average salary	$43,633	$34,043
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $68,000	Between $22,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Huntington Hospital
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between patient relations manager and patient care advocate education

There are a few differences between a patient relations manager and a patient care advocate in terms of educational background:

	Patient Relations Manager	Patient Care Advocate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Patient relations manager vs patient care advocate demographics

Here are the differences between patient relations managers' and patient care advocates' demographics:

	Patient Relations Manager	Patient Care Advocate
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2%	Male, 22.3% Female, 77.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.3% Asian, 5.3% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 6.8% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between patient relations manager and patient care advocate duties and responsibilities

Patient relations manager example responsibilities.

Manage PSR staff and perform all PSR functions including registration, check-out, medical records, order entry and procedure scheduling.
Lead interdisciplinary teams working on quality improvement initiatives and prepare for a JCAHO survey.
Provide excellent customer service in a medical institution and ensure all patients are well attend.
Oversee electronic medical records system and HIPPA compliance.
Maintain CMS and regulatory compliance with the grievance process.
Scan and file medical records in accordance with HIPAA protocols.

Patient care advocate example responsibilities.

Communicate with insurance companies on a continuous basis to ensure hospital reimbursement and attain authorization for home and rehabilitation services.
Answer questions relate to pharmacy benefits while maintaining HIPAA confidentiality, productivity standards, and performance guidelines.
Assist patients with bathroom needs - bedside commode, bedpan, urinal, catheter care.
Know how to do lab work such as strep and flu testing, drawing blood, and EKG's.
Assist in all medical needs (CBG's, vitals, bathing, bed changes, EKG's).
Place catheters in patients of all ages and genders.

Patient relations manager vs patient care advocate skills

Common patient relations manager skills

Patients, 39%
Schedule Appointments, 14%
Patient Care, 11%
Patient Relations, 9%
Service Recovery, 2%
Patient Rights, 2%

Common patient care advocate skills

Patients, 34%
Patient Care, 20%
PCA, 7%
Social Work, 4%
HIPAA, 3%
Vital Signs, 3%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Patient Relations Manager
Patient Relations Manager vs Patient Care Advocate

Updated January 8, 2025

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