Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Physicians have a natural role as advocates

Danielle Rosenman, MD
Physician
January 27, 2012
Share
Tweet
Share

As physicians, we are often called upon to be advocates for our patients. Sometimes they have no other person to turn to. At those times, in particular, we evaluate their health in the context of relationship, family, and workplace. Having practiced family medicine for so many years, and now in counseling medicine, I have had the responsibility of advocating for my patients with their health insurance companies, within their families, and with their employers. I take this responsibility very seriously.

Occasionally I see a patient who has been previously seen by another health care provider who does not want to advocate for the patient. These providers feel uneasy about “taking sides,” and do not want to find themselves in the morass of letters and forms that inevitably come as the price of advocacy. Perhaps they are not sure if the patient is really sick enough, depressed enough, injured enough. They may think that if the patient pushed harder, that she could go to work, that the pain isn’t that bad, that there must have been some good reason he was fired.

Healing takes place through the relationship between doctor and patient. The foundation of that relationship is trust. The patient trusts us with the most intimate details of his life. She trusts that I am competent and caring, that I’m giving her the best care I can, that I will respect his privacy, that I will listen with full attention and an open mind. He trusts that I will tell the truth, ask for help when needed, and that I will never abandon him. I, in turn, trust my patient to tell me as full and accurate a story as possible, to be clear about what she needs, to cooperate with the treatment plan and follow-up.

It is part of my job to believe in my patient. (Yes, we all have occasional patients who are seeking drugs or inappropriate treatment, or who are challenging or abusive, but even those patients deserve our belief in their ability to change and heal, while we set appropriate limits or regretfully decline to continue to see them.) Sometimes the patient is unable to believe in herself and her ability to heal (this includes situations where cure is not expected, and refers to recovering wholeness), and it is my responsibility to hold that possibility for her when she cannot.

Thus I feel strongly that we have a natural role as advocates. If a patient could benefit from a treatment not covered by his health insurance, we must go as far as we can to get him that treatment. I remember a case from my family practice days in which a patient had a potentially life-saving treatment in another state denied by health insurance, and the doctor spent hours and days calling and arguing with the insurance company. Eventually the patient received the treatment and did very well. If a patient needs us to continue to write letters and complete forms in order to qualify for disability benefits, it is another opportunity to use our “MD” degree in service of our patients.

To benefit our patients, we willingly put in long hours of work, we regularly pursue continuing education; we spend time consulting other doctors and health professionals. We hold family meetings, visit our patients in the hospital even when we are not directly treating them, and some of us still do the occasional home visit. When we freely advocate for our patients, our trust and belief in them becomes manifest, and our therapeutic relationships become strengthened. This benefits both sides of the doctor-patient relationship.

Danielle Rosenman is a former family physician and founder of medical counseling practice. She blogs at 5 Cents: The Doctor is In.

Submit a guest post and be heard on social media’s leading physician voice.

Prev

The Internet is where patients go for pre-visit consultations

January 26, 2012 Kevin 9
…
Next

Patient engagement is the holy grail of health care

January 27, 2012 Kevin 39
…

Tagged as: Patients, Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The Internet is where patients go for pre-visit consultations
Next Post >
Patient engagement is the holy grail of health care

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Danielle Rosenman, MD

  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    The moments when we recognize the brevity of life

    Danielle Rosenman, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Vaccines, preventable disease, and the nature of risk

    Danielle Rosenman, MD

More in Physician

  • The hidden incentives driving frivolous malpractice lawsuits

    Howard Smith, MD
  • Mastering medical presentations: Elevating your impact

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • Marketing as a clinician isn’t about selling. It’s about trust.

    Kara Pepper, MD
  • How doctors took back control from hospital executives

    Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD
  • How art and science fueled one woman’s path to medicine

    Amy Avakian, MD
  • In a fractured world, Brian Wilson’s message still heals

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
    • Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care

      Sandra Johnson | Tech
    • 2 hours to decide my future: How the SOAP residency match traps future doctors

      Nicolette V. S. Sewall, MD, MPH | Education
    • Reassessing the impact of CDC’s opioid guidelines on chronic pain care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • When the diagnosis is personal: What my mother’s Alzheimer’s taught me about healing

      Pearl Jones, MD | Conditions
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • My journey from misdiagnosis to living fully with APBD

      Jeff Cooper | Conditions
    • “Think twice, heal once”: Why medical decision-making needs a second opinion from your slower brain (and AI)

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • What the research really says about infrared saunas

      Khushali Jhaveri, MD | Conditions
    • How the cycle of rage is affecting physicians—and how to break free

      Alexandra M.P. Brito, MD and Jennifer L. Hartwell, MD | Conditions
    • Why ADHD in adults is often missed—and why it matters [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Dedicated hypermobility clinics can transform patient care

      Katharina Schwan, MPH | Conditions
    • It’s time for pain protocols to catch up with the opioid crisis

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • First impressions happen online—not in your exam room

      Sara Meyer | Social media

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 5 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
    • Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care

      Sandra Johnson | Tech
    • 2 hours to decide my future: How the SOAP residency match traps future doctors

      Nicolette V. S. Sewall, MD, MPH | Education
    • Reassessing the impact of CDC’s opioid guidelines on chronic pain care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • When the diagnosis is personal: What my mother’s Alzheimer’s taught me about healing

      Pearl Jones, MD | Conditions
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • My journey from misdiagnosis to living fully with APBD

      Jeff Cooper | Conditions
    • “Think twice, heal once”: Why medical decision-making needs a second opinion from your slower brain (and AI)

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • What the research really says about infrared saunas

      Khushali Jhaveri, MD | Conditions
    • How the cycle of rage is affecting physicians—and how to break free

      Alexandra M.P. Brito, MD and Jennifer L. Hartwell, MD | Conditions
    • Why ADHD in adults is often missed—and why it matters [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Dedicated hypermobility clinics can transform patient care

      Katharina Schwan, MPH | Conditions
    • It’s time for pain protocols to catch up with the opioid crisis

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • First impressions happen online—not in your exam room

      Sara Meyer | Social media

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Physicians have a natural role as advocates
5 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...