Advocacy Training in Medical Education? (it should be the life-breath of every course)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22836845

Acad Med. 2012 Jul 25. [Epub ahead of print]

Perspective: Is It Time for Advocacy Training in Medical Education?

Croft D, Jay SJ, Meslin EM, Gaffney MM, Odell JD.

Source

Dr. Croft is second-year resident in internal medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire. Dr. Jay is professor of medicine and public health and past founding chair, Department of Public Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana. Dr. Meslin is director, Indiana University Center for Bioethics; associate dean for bioethics, Indiana University School of Medicine; professor of medicine, medical and molecular genetics, public health, and philosophy, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana; and codirector, Indiana University Center for Law, Ethics, and Applied Research in Health Information and the Indiana University-Moi Academic Research Ethics Partnership, Eldoret, Kenya. Dr. Gaffney is clinical associate professor, Department of Medicine, and director, Introduction to Clinical Medicine course and the Moral Reasoning andEthical Judgment competency, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana. Mr. Odell is librarian, Indiana University Center for Bioethics, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Abstract

As the modern medical system becomes increasingly complex, a debate has arisen over the place of advocacy efforts within the medical profession. The authors argue that advocacy can help physicians fulfill their social contract. For physicians to become competent in patient-centered, clinical, administrative, or legislative advocacy, they require professional training. Many professional organizations have called for curricular reform to meet society's health needs during the past 30 years, and the inclusion of advocacy training in undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education is supported on both pragmatic and ethical grounds. Undergraduate medical education, especially, is an ideal time for this training because a standard competency can be instilled across all specialties. Although the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education includes advocacy training in curricula for residency programs, few medical schools or residency programs have advocacy electives. By understanding the challenges of the health care system and how to change it for the better, physicians can experience increased professional satisfaction and effectiveness in improving patient care, systems-based practice, and public health.