School of Medicine and Health Sciences Poster Presentations
Narrative Perspectives on Clinician Advocacy
Poster Number
247
Document Type
Poster
Status
Medical Student
Abstract Category
Health Policy and Management
Keywords
advocacy, narrative, public health, policy
Publication Date
Spring 2018
Abstract
Many medical institutions and professional organizations include advocacy as part of their mission statement. The AMA states that, “physicians should advocate for the social, economic, educational and political changes that ameliorate suffering and contribute to human well-being.” However, the overall concept of advocacy remains broad and poorly defined. How should advocacy be taught in a medical institution, and how should these values be implemented? While physicians are obligated to advocate on behalf of an individual patient, public advocacy requires a broader examination of health at the community and population levels. As with any profession, medicine attracts a wide range of people with various interests and personality types. The same model of advocacy is not suitable for everyone. This study features a series of interviews with physicians of different specialties and backgrounds who incorporate advocacy into their practice. The goal of these interviews was to understand the formative experiences that led physicians towards specific policy interests. Each physician developed a way to advocate for issues consistent with their worldview, culture, values and professional expertise.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Open Access
1
Narrative Perspectives on Clinician Advocacy
Many medical institutions and professional organizations include advocacy as part of their mission statement. The AMA states that, “physicians should advocate for the social, economic, educational and political changes that ameliorate suffering and contribute to human well-being.” However, the overall concept of advocacy remains broad and poorly defined. How should advocacy be taught in a medical institution, and how should these values be implemented? While physicians are obligated to advocate on behalf of an individual patient, public advocacy requires a broader examination of health at the community and population levels. As with any profession, medicine attracts a wide range of people with various interests and personality types. The same model of advocacy is not suitable for everyone. This study features a series of interviews with physicians of different specialties and backgrounds who incorporate advocacy into their practice. The goal of these interviews was to understand the formative experiences that led physicians towards specific policy interests. Each physician developed a way to advocate for issues consistent with their worldview, culture, values and professional expertise.