Using the Policy Brief as a Communication Tool for Stimulating Public Health Action

Donna Nichols, MSEd, CHESDHPE Health Policy and Partnerships Director

Directors of Health Promotion and Education (DHPE) Mission

To Strengthen, Promote, and Enhance the Professional Practice of Health Promotion and Education across the Nation with a sharpened focus toward health policy and health equity

What is a Policy Brief?

*Offers a rationale for selecting a solution

*Provides a course of action in a current policy debate

*Decides an organizational position on a specific public health issue

Who is the audience?

*Decision makers

*Public Health Leaders

*DHPE members

*National and state partners and networks

What are characteristics of a successful policy brief?

• Remember to Keep It Simple, the Fewer the Words the Better, and Every Sentence should be meaningful!

• Here are a few descriptors.

Characteristics *Focused

*Professional, not academic

*Evidence-based

*Limited

*Succinct

*Understandable

*Accessible

*Promotional

*Practical and Feasible

What is the Purpose of the Policy Brief?

*To convince the target audience of the urgency of the current problem or issue

*To describe the need to adopt a preferred solution

*To serve as an impetus for action

How is the Policy Brief Organized?

• Issue: Includes context and importance, who is affected, a succinct description of what is happening

• Background: Includes a thorough analysis of the issue

• Recommendations: Includes compelling actions that are substantiated by evidence and indicative of support by stakeholders and partners

What’s the Issue?

*Context and Importance

*Who is affected?

*A description of what is happening now and policy implications

Sample Issues

• America’s racial and ethnic minorities have worse health than whites do, and they often receive a lesser standard of health care.

• People who have limited education or income or who live in poor neighborhoods have worse health and health care compared to those who are better educated or financially better off.

“Health Policy Brief: Achieving Equity in Health,” Health Affairs, October 6, 2011.

Sample Issues

• Consumption continues to increase• Studies continue to show negative health effects• Price changes affect consumption

• Taxing alcohol and cigarettes has proved to be highly successful in reducing consumption and its consequences, resulting in major public health benefits.

Rudd Report: SSB Taxes-An Updated Policy Brief, October 2012

What Background is included?

• *Evidence

*Current Trends and Environment

*Historical Perspective

What types of recommendations are

included? • *Options

       *Course of Action       *Next Steps       *Stakeholder and Partner Support       *Compelling close

Sample Policy Recommendations

• Improvements in quality of care across the board in the US health care system, with particular attention to places where minority patients are likely to receive most of their care is needed.

• More attention to lessening or eliminating the drivers of poor health, including poverty, low levels of education, and the health and safety of neighborhoods is needed.

“Health Policy Brief: Achieving Equity in Health,” Health Affairs, October 6, 2011.

Sample Policy Recommendations

• Excise taxes should be indexed to inflation to avoid erosion of the impact as prices rise.

• Sales taxes should be considered. Note: In states where groceries are not taxed, or are taxed at a lower rate than other goods, SSBs could be defined as “non-groceries” and taxed just like consumer goods.

Rudd Report: SSB Taxes-An Updated Policy Brief, October 2012

In Summary

• Keep it short and to the point• Avoid empty rhetoric and sweeping

generalizations• Aim to convince• Cite specifics• Be realistic

• Address the audience’s needs (more important than solving the larger problem)

QUESTIONS

Contact InfoDonna C. Nichols, MSEd, CHES

Director of Health Policy and Partnerships

Directors of Health Promotion and Education

dnichols@dhpe.org

512-507-4933