advocacy /ad″vəkas′ē/ , 1. a process whereby a health care professional provides a patient with the information to make certain decisions, usually related to some aspect of the patient’s health care. 2. a method by which patients, their families, attorneys, health professionals, and citizen groups can work together to develop programs that ensure the availability of high-quality health care for a community. 3. pleading a cause on behalf of another, such as a nurse advising a colleague on better care of a patient, a physical or occupational therapist lobbying for appropriate professional services, or any health care professional urging others that the patient’s desires be honored.
