The doctor-patient relationship is the core of healthcare. Patients value their relationships with physicians and seek out medical homes led by them. Physicians are in a unique position to leverage their relationships, expertise and training in the marketplace. They can exert their influence through a variety of contracting and affiliation strategies. Moreover, the active engagement of physicians in their national or state medical societies enables them to communicate as one voice to their peers and the public.
Whether in private practice or in the hospital setting, the vast majority of doctors belong to their local, county and/or state medical societies, with two thirds belonging to their national specialty society. Doctors’ enrolment in these organizations may be driven by their desire to connect with colleagues, share best practices, receive up-to-date information and gain access to education and advocacy opportunities. Physicians are also increasingly joining groups that allow them to negotiate with payers and provide a collective point of difference in the healthcare market.
In many countries, the World Medical Association (WMA) provides a forum for its national medical associations to communicate freely and co-operate actively, and to achieve consensus on high standards of medical science, medicine and art, professional competence and ethical conduct, and health care for all people throughout the world. The WMA’s Declarations, Resolutions and Statements help guide national medical associations, governments and international organizations.
The WMA is a not-for-profit confederation of free physician associations whose members are dedicated to the advancement of the science and art of medicine, protection of the health of the public and improvement of the medical profession. Its membership consists of 116 National Medical Associations.
Doctor organization has evolved to include a wide array of activities, services and resources designed to meet the needs of doctors and their patients at every stage of their careers. These include professional support and advocacy, continuing education, practice tools, career development, professional growth and leadership, patient safety initiatives, and clinical and research resources.
In a time of increasing burdensome government regulation and corporate management control, physicians need to organize in order to defend their sphere of freedom. They must take the lead in promoting the principles of medical autonomy, therapeutic freedom and the free choice of patients and doctors.
Across Western Europe and North America, the early nineteenth century saw the rise of medical associations devoted to defending doctors’ economic freedom—the right to set fees and accept private patients—and their broader notions of therapeutic freedom and patient choice.
Today, medical associations continue to play a vital role in fostering the wellbeing of patients and their communities. They are committed to the pursuit of new knowledge in all fields relevant to primary care and to providing physicians with a nurturing, informative and inspiring environment to advance their careers.