So is it time for doctors to pull out our prescription pads and, like Dr. Virchow, start prescribing democracy?

This may seem like a radical extension of the medical mandate, but the poorer and the sicker our patients are, the more likely they are to be disenfranchised. Those with the most to lose are least likely to have their voices heard.

Of course no one should be advocating political viewpoints in the exam room — patients need a neutral, nonjudgmental atmosphere to feel secure. But civic engagement is nonpartisan.

When patients say they can’t afford their medicine, fear being bankrupted by medical bills or struggle to find treatment for an addiction, we typically offer sympathy for these heartbreaking and seemingly intractable issues.

But might it be our responsibility to point out that these problems are not just bad luck but also the result of political decisions? Instead of giving a kindly pat on the shoulder, perhaps we should inform our patients that they can call their elected officials to get answers. In addition to our medical counsel, perhaps we should also encourage them to vote.

When patients are admitted to the hospital, they are asked about their tobacco use and their flu shots, their employment status and their religious affiliation. Why not ask if they are registered to vote? Just as hospitals and clinics help the uninsured obtain coverage, they should also help eligible voters register. Waiting rooms are filled with brochures — there’s no reason voter registration materials can’t be in the mix.

In 2014, two clinics in the Bronx conducted a nonpartisan voter registration effort. Many of the volunteers were doctors, nurses or medical students, but the outreach took place outside the exam room. The efforts paid off; 90 percent of patients who were eligible to vote but had not yet registered did so. More than half of them were first-time voters.