When I Say … Health Advocacy

Objective: To discuss and reflect upon the role of medical practitioners, including psychiatrists, as health advocates on behalf of patients, carers and staff. Conclusions: Health advocacy is a key professional competency of medical practitioners, and is part of the RANZCP framework for training and continuing professional development. Since advocacy is often a team activity, there is much that is gained experientially from volunteering and working with other more experienced health advocates within structurally and financially independent (of health systems and governments) representative groups (RANZCP, AMA, unions). Doctors may begin with clinically proximate advocacy for improved healthcare in health systems, across the public and private sectors. Health advocacy requires skill and courage, but can ultimately influence systemic outcomes, sway policy decisions, and improve resource allocation.

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An evaluation of the Victorian Salt Reduction Partnership’s advocacy strategy for policy change

Health Research Policy and Systems ◽

10.1186/s12961-021-00759-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Emalie Rosewarne ◽

Michael Moore ◽

Wai-Kwan Chislett ◽

Alexandra Jones ◽

Kathy Trieu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Policy Change ◽

Action Plan ◽

Evaluation Framework ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Health Advocacy ◽

Salt Reduction ◽

Public Health Advocacy ◽

The Creation ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Public health advocacy strategies facilitate policy change by bringing key health issues to the forefront of public and political discourse, influencing decision-makers and public opinion, and increasing policy demand. The Victorian Salt Reduction Partnership (VSRP) was established in 2014 in response to inadequate government action to improve population diets in Australia. This study aimed to evaluate the success of the VSRP’s advocacy strategy in achieving policy change. Methods Documentation of VSRP activities and outputs were collected, and semi-structured interviews conducted as part of a comprehensive process evaluation. For this study, the Kotter Plus 10-step public health advocacy evaluation framework was used to guide data extraction, analysis, and synthesis. Results A sense of urgency for salt reduction was generated by producing evidence and outlining the potential impact of a state-based salt reduction programme. This enabled the creation of a coalition with diverse skills and expertise, which facilitated the development of an innovative and collaborative advocacy action plan. A clear change vision was established, but communication of the vision to decision-makers was lacking, which reduced the impact of the programme as decision-makers were not provided with a clear incentive for policy change. As a result, while programme outputs were achieved, these did not translate to achieving broader strategic goals during a limited-term intervention in a political climate unconcerned with salt. Conclusions The Kotter Plus 10-step framework was a useful tool for evaluating the success of the VSRP advocacy strategy. The framework enabled the identification of key strengths, including the creation of the guiding coalition, and areas where efforts could be improved in future similar strategies, such as effective communication within partnerships and to decision-makers, to better influence policy and improve public health impact.

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Corporate Colonization of Health Activism? Irish Health Advocacy Organizations' Modes of Engagement with Pharmaceutical Corporations

International Journal of Health Services ◽

10.2190/hs.37.4.h ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 37 (4) ◽

pp. 711-733 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Orla O'Donovan

Keyword(s):

Pharmaceutical Industry ◽

Advocacy Organizations ◽

Health Advocacy ◽

Health Activism ◽

Industry Sponsorship ◽

Depth Study ◽

Modes Of Interaction ◽

Modes Of Engagement ◽

Shed Light ◽

Corporate Colonization

This article is based on a study that aimed to shed light on the “cultures of action” of Irish health advocacy organizations, and particularly their modes of engagement with pharmaceutical corporations. Debates about what some interpret as the “corporate colonization” of health activism provide the backdrop for the analysis. The empirical dimension of the study involved a survey of 112 organizations and in-depth study of a small number of organizations that manifest diverse modes of engagement with the pharmaceutical industry. The varying modes of interaction are plotted along a continuum and characterized as corporatist, cautious cooperation, and confrontational. Evidence is presented of a strong and growing cultural tendency in Irish health advocacy organizations to frame pharmaceutical corporations as allies in their quests for better health. The analysis of four constitutive dimensions of organizations' cultures of action can reveal the legitimating logics underlying their diverging positions around pharmaceutical industry sponsorship. While the research shows that pharmaceutical corporations have largely succeeded in defining themselves as a philanthropic force and rightful players in Irish health activism, it cautions against a simplistic conclusion that this is evidence of corporate colonization.

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Family Health Advocacy

Family & Community Health ◽

10.1097/00003727-200607000-00009 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 221-228 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Tiffany D. Baffour ◽

Maurine A. Jones ◽

Linda K. Contreras

Keyword(s):

Family Health ◽

Health Advocacy

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Improving the Quality of Life for High-Risk Infants

Neonatal Network The Journal of Neonatal Nursing ◽

10.1891/0730-0832.27.6.369 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 27 (6) ◽

pp. 369-369

Author(s):

Sharyn Gibbins

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Medical Education ◽

High Risk ◽

Scientific Knowledge ◽

Essential Role ◽

Pediatric Patients ◽

Health Advocacy ◽

Medical Speciality ◽

High Risk Infants

NEONATOLOGY IS A RELATIVELY NEW MEDICAL SPECIALITY that arose from the recognition that neonates were different from adults and other pediatric patients. The recognition of these differences between patients led, in part, to the development of perinatology and neonatology programs across the globe. As scientific knowledge and medical education evolved, so too did the recognition that nurses played an essential role in the care of high-risk infants. No longer restricted to Florence Nightingale’s initial advocacy for a nurturing environment only, the profession of nursing extends into areas of practice, education, mentorship, health advocacy, and research.

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