부산대학교 도서관

The physician duty to advocate for patients has evolved to address the need for high quality and sustainable care for all patients. As described in the CanMEDS Health Advocate role, health advocacy is about promoting health equity and engaging with partners across sectors to address the social determinants of health. Ethically, health advocacy is supported by beneficence (substantial medical benefit can be achieved by addressing the worst off) and justice (a commitment to sufficiency or equality in access to care and in health outcomes). Dilemmas or emerging challenges in health advocacy include distinguishing "special access" that is designed to address health inequities from preferential access for associates or "VIP"s, whether and when reciprocity or restorative justice should matter in healthcare, navigating the perception or reality of the politicization of medicine, and addressing responsibilities for non-maleficence ("do no harm") by examining privilege, promoting cultural safety, and engaging in affirming and inclusive practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]