Advancing physician advocacy: Overcoming barriers in health policy scholarship

Advocacy and health policy are key areas of interest for many in the medical field, including trainees and physicians. However, physicians’ demanding roles often make conducting research in these areas challenging. A recent report in the Journal of Health Advocacy highlights key barriers and offers strategies to help physicians engage in advocacy and health policy scholarship.

Why it matters

Advocating for policies that improve patient outcomes is a vital responsibility for physicians. The report’s findings are based on experiences from the Academic Pediatric Association (APA) Health Policy Scholars Program.

“Building on our work in this field, we identify both barriers to scholarship and ways to overcome them,” says Laura Willing, MD, co-author and psychiatrist at Children’s National Hospital. “We also propose solutions and actionable steps to advance pediatric health policy scholarship and advocacy at the individual, institutional and national levels.”

Moving the field forward

The report outlines key barriers to physician advocacy, including a lack of mentorship, limited dedicated time and resources, and alignment with institutional priorities.

“By providing a framework for effective advocacy, we hope other pediatricians, physicians and healthcare providers can replicate our successes,” says Matthew Magyar, MD, co-author and hospitalist at Children’s National.

Children’s National Hospital leads the way

Through the Child Health Advocacy Institute (CHAI), Children’s National actively supports physician advocacy. Staff regularly provide legislative testimony, collaborate on key policies and engage in advocacy-focused research to enhance patient care. Faculty and trainees work together, supported by CHAI and its Affiliate Faculty.

“Medical education extends beyond teaching about diseases in the hospital,” says Dr. Magyar. “It also includes educating the public and policymakers on policies that support children’s health and well-being.”

Read the full report in the Journal of Health Advocacy.