Russell L. Gruen|Eric G. Campbell|David Blumenthal
Public Roles of US Physicians
Royal Melbourne Hospital|University of Melbourne|Massachusetts General Hospital|Harvard University|Royal Melbourne Hospital|University of Melbourne|Massachusetts General Hospital|Harvard University|Royal Melbourne Hospital|University of Melbourne|Massachusetts General Hospital|Harvard University
whether physicians professional responsibility address healthrelated issues beyond providing care individual patients vigorously debated yet little known practicing physicians attitudes extent participate public roles defined community participation political involvement collective advocacyto determine importance physicians assign public roles participation related activities sociodemographic practice factors related physicians rated levels importance activitymail survey conducted november 2003 june 2004 1662 us physicians engaged direct patient care selected primary care specialties family practice internal medicine pediatrics 3 nonprimary care specialties anesthesiology general surgery cardiologyrated importance community participation political involvement collective advocacy relevant selfreported activities encompassing previous 3 years rated importance physician action different issuescommunity participation political involvement collective advocacy rated important 90 respondents majority rated community participation collective advocacy important nutrition immunization substance abuse road safety issues rated important physicians accesstocare issues unemployment illiteracy two thirds respondents participated least 1 3 types activities previous 3 years factors independently related high overall rating importance civicmindedness included age female sex underrepresented raceethnicity graduation nonus noncanadian medical school civic mindedness medical specialty practice type underrepresented raceethnicity preceptors physicians training rural practice graduation nonus noncanadian medical school independently related civic activitypublic roles definable entities widespread support among physicians civicmindedness associated primarily sociodemographic factors civic action associated specialty practicebased factors