In the era of advocacy groups, it seems appropriate to contemplate how best to utilize them for patient benefit in the management of those with disorders of sex development (DSD), including those with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Such interactions, to be constructive, require a spirit of cooperation to optimize outcomes. A traditional view of advocacy groups as a type of defender of pa...

Empathy is an important component of the provider-patient relationship. In the United States one in five persons has a disability. Persons with disabilities perceive gaps in health care providers' understanding of their health care preferences and needs. The purpose of this study was to use valid and reliable assessment methods to investigate the association between empathy and attitudes toward...

Shared decision making (SDM) is on the international healthcare agenda among patient advocacy groups and makers in worldwide [1–5]. In Denmark, implementation of SDM with all ca...

This is the second of a two-part unit on the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Part 1 explored the concept and definition of mental capacity, advance treatment decisions, independent mental capacity advocates and the act's code of practice. This part discusses possible ethical and legal dilemmas in the interpretation of both the act and its code of practice.

For the last 22 years I have worked as a lobbyist in Washington, DC representing medical and healthcare organizations on issues ranging from funds for biomedical research to payment for specific medical technologies and services. In that time I have learned that health policy decisions are strongly affected by the organized voice of patients and their families. Whether the issue has been liver ...

IMPORTANCE Patient advocacy organizations seek to increase their benefits for patients with skin disease; low awareness and patient referrals among dermatologists have presented an obstacle to this. OBJECTIVE To determine whether the Skin Advocate iPhone App would increase awareness and referrals to patient advocacy organizations in the Coalition of Skin Diseases (CSD) among Texas dermatologi...