My Experience in Advocacy for Eye Care
Abstract
Advocacy is defined as” the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal; the act or process of advocating“. When thinking about advocacy in the context of this article, three thoughts came to mind: 1) Who was I advocating for–my patients? My profession? Myself? 2) How did I go about advocating? 3) What has changed because of my advocacy? The last question is perhaps the most difficult to address.
Patient advocacy is a process in health care concerned with advocacy for patients, survivors, and caregivers. When considering our most vulnerable patients—the homeless, the elderly, refugees, minority groups such as our First Nations, those with poor access to care, those with disabilities (mental and physical), and children—advocating for their care is a daunting task. Providing eyecare for the most vulnerable and advocating for their care has been a major goal of my group over the past decade.
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