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Family Medicine Congressional ConferenceIndividual Physician Advocacy

Matthew Burke, MD

Faculty, Dept. of Family Medicine

April 7th, 2014

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Introduction

• As much a 80% of health comes

from social determinants• Gains in quality and cost control must come from

policy that unites clinical expertise and public resources– Upstream vs. Downstream causation

• Primary care has a central role to play

April 10, 2023

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Objectives

• Know your worth– You are the expert!

• Showcase efficient strategies for – Planning your visit while keeping your day job– Advocacy etiquette– Follow up strategies

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Know your Worth!

• Changing healthcare landscape presents great opportunities and challenges

• The ACA is largely an insurance vehicle, cost and quality mechanisms are more opaque

• Centralizing primary care would best promote positive changes

• Advocating for Family Medicine is advocating for patients

• YOU are the expert!

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Time Constraints

• We are all busy!• Advocacy comes in many forms, some are not

labor intensive• Organized resources are readily available• Advocacy is about relationships, which take

time. This means no one contact is make or break!

• Develop coalitions and friendships (colleagues, state academies, paramedical organizations)

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One Pagers

• Reinforces the message• Quick, to the point• Has several key points

– Your contact– Key message/problem– Background of problem– Policy ask/rationale

• Brief is good• Liked as well as face to face interactions• Graphs convey information quickly!

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Advocacy Etiquette

• Be prepared to meet with legislative assistants, they’re often as/more knowledgeable

• Punctuality and preparedness go far• Always make introductions, remember the AAFP is

America’s largest single-specialty medical membership organization (useful for state visits too)

• Avoid over politicizing conversations, make asks directly and politely

• Be sure to follow up and close the loop

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Anecdote vs. Fact

“There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

• Stories are powerful – (e.g., Shep Glazer in 1971)

• However, policy needs to be evidentiary

• The trick is to select stories that underpin what the evidence tells us– Primary care controls cost/promotes

quality– Social determinants drive health

inequality– Access issues lead to poor outcomes

for our patients

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Follow Through

• Expresses commitment and professionalism• Any format will do, however traditional norms still

play a role (letters over calls, calls over emails, emails over tweets)

• Can create a door to pass through in future for other asks

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State Level Advocacy

• Many state chapters run lobby days• Often issues sync with national issues• Chance to influence legislation• Barriers to regular communication are often

lessened

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Have a Great Time!

• Questions?