In the absence of patient advocate groups to advise hospitals on methods to improve health care and to help people overcome obstacles in obtaining adequate health care, human relations commissions will typically receive complaints about hospitals refusing to provide health care, being unable to communicate with non-English speaking residents and other issues relating to the inadequate provision of health care.
Commissions may examine the feasibility of assisting community groups to form a patient advocacy group, form a health committee to assure itself that hospitals are meeting the needs of the community, respond to complaints as they made or select some other appropriate option. When complaints of health care are chronic commissions may hold public hearings to publicize the issues and gain support for programs designed to remedy the problems.