Patient advocacy can help solve the social inequalities experienced within healthcare

Although Canada provides its citizens and permanent residents with access to healthcare, there are disparities between the quality care provided to racialized and non-racialized groups

Canadian citizens and permanent residents are privileged to receive accessible healthcare under the country’s universal healthcare system. The ease of access to care through family doctors or walk in clinics, links society and healthcare in a way that allows individuals to receive surgeries, medical tests and treatments when sick for no upfront cost.  

Although we receive many crucial benefits in medical care compared to other countries in the world, our healthcare system is far from perfect. When viewing the social aspect of our healthcare system, I strongly believe there is a lack of compassion and consideration toward patients of colour, which results in racial inequality for indiviudals accessing the health care system. 

The racial inequality in Canada's healthcare system in particular has created distress and barriers for many of the population.  

Historically, clinical research has been conducted on males of European descent. Thus, our medical knowledge is largely derived from a distinct population.  

As taught by Dr. Verónica G. Rodriguez Moncalvo in Research Methods in The Life Sciences (LifeSci 2A03), to generalize the results obtained from a research study, the sample must be representative of the population.  

However, the healthcare system does not seem to acknowledge this rule since the results obtained from a specific sample are applied to the general population.  

This is also a prime example of racial inequality in Canada's healthcare system. The racial disparities experienced within medicine stem from the lack of knowledge of how various health issues present themselves in differing groups.  

For example, South Asians are at a higher risk of developing a detrimental cardiovascular disease than their White Caucasian counterparts. However, this was only recently brought into public knowledge due to the lack of data on the correlation between South Asians and cardiovascular disease. 

Racial inequality in our healthcare system leads to racial disparities, ultimately creating a divide between patients of colour and the medical system. Now, you may be thinking, "What does this have to do with patient advocacy?" Well, the issues discussed are all connected through their lack of advocacy for the rights of patients of colour.  

Patient advocacy exists to correct these social injustices and beyond. Although health advocacy is a profession within Canada, I believe that anyone can practice patient advocacy. For example, if you had visited someone in medical care, you might have engaged with this practice. 

It can be challenging to navigate the healthcare system due to low socioeconomic status or language barriers along with being racialized, for exmaple. In addition, the lack of education concerning health issues of racialized groups creates more difficulty in receiving medical care.  

On a simpler scale, patient advocates are individuals who take on the responsibility of voicing patient concerns. For example, racial inequality requires patient advocacy because when these issues arise, it more often than not takes a family member to advocate for the patient's rights.  

Unfortunately, due to the stress placed on our healthcare system, patients needs often get overlooked, even more so for racialized groups. Patient advocacy is crucial in resolving social inequalities experienced in the healthcare system because it is the most consistent. Advocates are with the patient throughout the healthcare system, ensuring that the patient receives the best care possible.   

Fortunately, medical students have understood the importance of patient advocacy through the pandemic. A collective of McMaster University medical students have advocated for creating an accessible paid sick leave program for Ontario workers during the pandemic.  

This movement provided upcoming doctors with experiential evidence that patient advocacy is a necessity within the medical field. As society evolves, it is important for us to acknowledge that we all play a role in patient advocacy. Without it, the social injustices concerning racial inequalities occurring in medicine will prevail.