Key takeaways on advocating in age of skepticism

The MSSC membership meeting on Feb. 3 featured a panel of physician leaders who shared their ideas on how to advocate for evidence-based medicine in an age of increasing skepticism and political uncertainty.

The panelists were Estephan Zayat, MD, president of the Kansas Medical Society, Gretchen Homan, MD, past chair of the Immunize Kansas Coalition, and Aron Fast, MD, past president of KMS and member of the MSSC/KMS legislative committees.

MSSC President Chady Sarraf, MD, who facilitated the discussion, said it’s more important than ever that physicians rely on one another as the foundation for science-based healthcare becomes increasingly challenged.

“From exam rooms to state chambers, advocating for evidence-based medicine has become harder than ever, but also more essential than ever,” he said.

Advocating – even by sending a quick email to lawmakers – matters, panelists said. Here are some more takeaways from the discussion:

On why advocacy is important: “Our patients deserve physician-led, evidence-based, accessible, affordable, compassionate care,” Zayat said. “Our physicians … deserve to be able to provide that excellent care.”

On physicians as experts: “We think we’re the experts in the room, and often we are. … But in Topeka, I don’t think physicians are universally viewed as the experts,” Fast said. “People have lost some trust in the medical profession. It’s on us to … show people how much we care. Not only patients, but lawmakers.”

On talking with patients: “Your opinion and your approach matters and weighs heavily,” Homan said. “You are an authority. When you’re talking with patients, what you say and what you do not say matters, and they hear all of it.