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Our next #F1000Talks tweet chat will discuss how patient advocates gather scientific information and expert advice, and will take place on July 24th at 1 PM EST/6 PM GMT. Our guests will be AnneMarie Ciccarella (@chemobrainfog), Lori Marx-Rubiner (@regrounding), Amy Price (@AmyPricePhD) and David Gilbert (@DavidGilbert43).

Most patients need help to understand information about their disease. Advocates can assist patients to better understand their condition in order to help them make an informed decision in getting the care that meets their requirements and goals.

Patient advocacy is a calling. Patient advocates, in addition to providing medical literature and research services to patients and their families, also liaise between patients and health care providers, educate about the best use of health plans, and provide information on how and where to obtain needed care.

Patient advocates may be individuals who work independently or are affiliated with the institution that is responsible for the patient’s care. There are also many patient advocate organizations, such as government consumer advocacy agencies, that provide services to the public. Individual patient advocates often have a professional background in social work or healthcare law, or might be health care professionals, or former patients who have made a vocation in helping patients in their decision-making.

With so many web-based resources, patients today can find health information from credible scientific sources, such as MedlinePlus and Healthfinder.gov, as well as from non-peer reviewed sources like online patient forums. While it is important that research findings make their way to the general public to better equip patients with information about their treatment options, public health officials recognize that ‘the potential for harm from inaccurate information…is significant‘. As such, patient advocates have a crucial job in helping patients evaluate the quality and appropriateness of scientific information.

Join us on July 24 to hear how our guests tackle the task of gathering scientific information, and share your ideas and concerns on the topic. As usual, our tweet chat will start with a 15 minute Q&A session, after which our guests will answer questions from the audience. For some general information about tweet chats and how to participate, see our previous blog post on the topic.