Why physicians must speak out about social inequity

In his latest KevinMD column, ACP's Vice President of Membership and International Programs, Philip A. Masters, MD, FACP, discusses why physicians must speak out on issues related to social inequities. Although some physicians may feel that their responsibility is to the individual patient, true health depends on the interplay of myriad genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors, Dr. Masters states. “Only by bringing to bear the collective power of medicine to illuminate the impact of these adverse social determinants on patients and strive to rectify them will we be able to treat the whole person and achieve the well-being we seek for all under our care,” he writes.