Unit support representative vs patient advocate

The differences between unit support representatives and patient 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 unit support representative and a patient advocate. Additionally, a patient advocate has an average salary of $36,325, which is higher than the $36,274 average annual salary of a unit support representative.

The top three skills for a unit support representative include patients, patient care and medical terminology. The most important skills for a patient advocate are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Unit support representative vs patient advocate overview

	Unit Support Representative	Patient Advocate
Yearly salary	$36,274	$36,325
Hourly rate	$17.44	$17.46
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	96,866	88,778
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Unit support representative vs patient advocate salary

Unit support representatives and patient advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Unit Support Representative	Patient Advocate
Average salary	$36,274	$36,325
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $50,000	Between $29,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	-	Springfield, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Cognizant
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between unit support representative and patient advocate education

There are a few differences between a unit support representative and a patient advocate in terms of educational background:

	Unit Support Representative	Patient Advocate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Unit support representative vs patient advocate demographics

Here are the differences between unit support representatives' and patient advocates' demographics:

	Unit Support Representative	Patient Advocate
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7%	Male, 17.5% Female, 82.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 7.1% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 23.6% Asian, 6.8% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between unit support representative and patient advocate duties and responsibilities

Unit support representative example responsibilities.

Conduct 6 mass vaccination campaigns, manage protein-calorie malnutrition, coordinate epidemiological surveillance, and direct health facility rehabilitation
Transcribe recorded messages and practitioners' diagnosis/recommendations into patients' medical records; transcribe physician orders into hospital computer system.
Facilitate and assist with the discharge process of patients including completing all necessary paperwork and arranging patient transportation.
Handle sensitive information in compliance with HIPAA protocols.
Respect patient's right to privacy, dignity, and confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA guidelines.
File lab and x-ray reports, EKG's etc., with appropriate medical record and refill medical record in appropriate place.

Patient advocate example responsibilities.

Manage the complaint process as required by CMS for the hospital.
Provide support for emergencies by managing inappropriate behaviors, aggressive patients, CPR and persons in crisis.
Train to welcome and register patients at ESI triage window.
Document patients medical problems using ICD 9 and CPT coding for patients diagnosis.
Pull any incoming referrals, triage them, and schedule patients with the appropriate doctor.
Collect and review patient information to determine patients' eligibility for Medicaid and charity program assistance.

Unit support representative vs patient advocate skills

Common unit support representative skills

Patients, 49%
Patient Care, 21%
Medical Terminology, 7%
Physician Orders, 4%
Insurance Carriers, 4%
Patient Charts, 4%

Common patient advocate skills

Patients, 28%
Customer Service, 11%
Patient Care, 5%
Medicaid, 4%
Financial Assistance, 4%
Patient Accounts, 4%

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Unit Support Representative
Unit Support Representative vs Patient Advocate

Updated January 8, 2025

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