Medical professionals must advocate for the health of their patients on all fronts, including at the political level, Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD, an author and physician at New York City-based Bellevue Hospital, wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times.
Dr. Ofri said political decisions that affect patients' insurance coverage, access to healthcare or housing status "exert medical effects that are comparable with those of major diseases."
She argued physicians should promote nonpartisan civic engagement among patients as part of their medical care.
"When patients say they can't afford their medicine, fear being bankrupted by medical bills or struggle to find treatment for an addiction, we typically offer sympathy for these heartbreaking and seemingly intractable issues," she wrote in the op-ed. "Instead of giving a kindly pat on the shoulder, perhaps we should inform our patients that they can call their elected officials to get answers."
Physicians already ask patients about other lifestyle choices, such as tobacco use or exercise regimens, so "why not ask if they are registered to vote?" Dr. Ofri said.
"[W]e do have to recognize that the health of the community is part of our medical mission. Civic engagement is integral to that," she concluded. "When our patients ask what they can do to improve their health, in addition to sunscreen, exercise and five servings of fruits and vegetables, we should advise voting."
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