Reflections on medical advocacy

 At the recent 2024 Baylor Health Policy Symposium, medical advocacy was one of the topics of discussion.

Dr. Mary Brandt, who was part of the panel discussion on “Transcending Politics,” stated that as healthcare professionals, we “are advocates in our blood; it is part of what we do; if we want the best for the person in front of us, we have to advocate by educating them, we have to advocate by pushing back when we can’t get things for them.” She added that the question about medical advocacy is not an either/or, but rather it is, “how big the circle is that we feel called to as advocates,” highlighting how advocacy is already inherent to our profession and how the extent of the involvement is different for each one of us and can also change over time. I found Dr. Brandt’s framing of medical advocacy right on target and very relatable.

At a personal level, I realized over time that my work as a physician and healer could not stop at the clinic. To disentangle medicine, health and life is impossible. The emotional and medical well-being of our patients and community are negatively affected by pernicious legacies of poverty and uneven access to resources.

Therefore, I started to feel a moral responsibility to actively advocate not only for my patients, whatever their specific needs might be right there and then, but also to promote human welfare through addressing disparities in healthcare access and quality of care, working to remove barriers that affect patient outcomes and championing the social values of justice, equality, inclusiveness and respect.

Professional organizations like the American College of Physicians and Doctors for America provide an established framework and resources for advocacy and offer the opportunity to be part of a larger team. This is very helpful because advocacy is hard work that requires persistence and determination. Being part of a group of like-minded individuals makes the work more pleasant and less overwhelming.

When advocating for my patients with policymakers, locally or at the Texas Capitol or in Washington D.C., my most powerful tool of advocacy, often more powerful than facts and data, is telling my patients’ stories. Stories have the power to persuade and move people to action. It has been reported that stories are up to 22 times more memorable than numbers and data and help make the case for why a policymaker should stand behind a cause.

Writing articles and essays to share, with permission, our patients’ stories and their personal experiences with illness and the medical system is also an act of advocacy. 

One of the common threads of humanity, besides sharing the same needs and aspirations, is the likelihood that we all experience some type of adversity in our lives. If we allow ourselves to examine and process these experiences, they can deeply inform our work as human beings, scientists, and healers and give us insights that we would not otherwise have had.

Medical advocacy work embodies the principles of professionalism and humanitarianism in several ways: By advocating for patients, healthcare professionals demonstrate their commitment to patient welfare, a core tenet of medical professionalism.

Like humanitarian work, medical advocacy seeks to alleviate suffering and improve the quality of life for individuals and communities through better healthcare policies and better access to care. Furthermore, advocacy addresses issues of healthcare inequality and works toward a more just and equitable healthcare system, promoting human rights and social justice.

The clinician advocate is also a leader who has the vision to see the healthcare system as it is, is not afraid to confront the health challenges of our time, and has the determination to lead the movement for better healthcare.

During the past several months, I’ve been delighted to see a growing number of students and colleagues approaching me about how to get involved in medical advocacy outside of the office, following the guidelines of our institution. This is one of the greatest rewards of advocating for our patients and communities: it can inspire others to do the same, fostering a culture of caring and positive engagement.

By Dr. Fabrizia Faustinella, professor of family and community medicine at Baylor College of Medicine