What is patient advocacy? -- The U.S. health care system and the need for patient advocacy -- Family-centered care -- E-patients -- The long reach to basic healthcare services -- The clinician's experience -- Accessing the patient's world -- Advocacy and patient literacy -- Improving the quality of care through research -- The contributions of patient advocacy in patient safety -- Planetree, a hospital model for patient-centered care -- Confronting the hidden curriculum in medical education -- Advocacy for improving end-of-life care -- Did patient/consumers cause the healthcare crisis? -- Advocacy for residents in long term care -- Access to healthcare -- Research advocacy in traditional research settings -- Educating for health advocacy in settings of higher learning -- Clinical advocacy -- Using the law to strengthen the patient's voice -- Patient advocacy.