Each of these entities has some level of control over what healthcare is provided, how that care is delivered and, maybe most important, what will be paid for and by whom. It is very important that physicians be involved at this level. The broader impact of prohibiting cloning has received very little or no coverage in the media. All the reports have been about the cloned animal and how humans will be next. Doctors could and should be talking about the treatment of people who have been severely burned and what will happen to their treatment if cloning is banned.
Individual advocacy is time and energy spent advocating on behalf of an individual.
Every physician does this over and over again in the practice of medicine. Each patient s needs are different and many times it takes the doctor s phone call or the doctor s letter to assure the patient receives the necessary attention, whether it be tests or treatment. Patients must have faith that their doctor is willing to make waves on their behalf, not just receive payment for services rendered. Personal or self-advocacy is the time and energy spent on personal concerns. Physicians are also people with families and issues that need attention.