TR: How does advocacy translate to the clinic?
Dr. Brittan: I get a lot of fulfillment from being able to come back to the exam room and tell my patients—people who are struggling to get access to appropriate and needed medicines—that I recognize the barriers they are facing and that I’m not just commiserating with them, but I’m actually going and doing something about it. Through advocacy, I’m sitting with our legislators and explaining how there was a six-month delay in getting a patient an important medicine solely due to non-medical providers making that determination at an insurance company. That has real-world impact.
TR: How can others in the field support RheumPAC and its efforts?
Dr. Brittan: We would love people to be involved and go advocate in person, but donations are also a big help. If all of the members of the ACR/ARP donated just $10, that would make a huge difference, so we would love for people to keep an open mind in supporting us.
There are not a lot of rheumatologists compared to other physicians as a whole, but through advocacy—and through RheumPAC as part of that advocacy—we have the ability to amplify our voices and do really meaningful things for our patients.
For me, I see physician advocacy as a very natural extension of our main priority, which is taking good care of our patients.
Leslie Mertz, PhD, is a freelance science journalist based in northern Michigan.
Contributions to RheumPAC are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. All contributions to RheumPAC are voluntary and must be made with personal funds. You may refuse to contribute without reprisal. Any proposed contribution amounts are merely suggestions; you may choose to contribute more or less or not at all. RheumPAC will not favor or disadvantage anyone by reason of the amount contributed or the decision not to contribute. Federal law prohibits contributions from corporations. RheumPAC participants must be United States citizens or permanent resident aliens.
