1 / 18

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

Learn to craft compelling policy briefs to advocate for public health action. Understand the purpose, structure, and key elements of successful policy briefs. Engage decision-makers and stakeholders effectively.

leowilson
Download Presentation

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

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Using the Policy Brief as a Communication Tool for Stimulating Public Health Action Donna Nichols, MSEd, CHES DHPE Health Policy and Partnerships Director

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. Who is the audience? *Decision makers *Public Health Leaders *DHPE members *National and state partners and networks

  5. 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.

  6. Characteristics *Focused *Professional, not academic *Evidence-based *Limited *Succinct *Understandable *Accessible *Promotional *Practical and Feasible

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. What’s the Issue? *Context and Importance *Who is affected? *A description of what is happening now and policy implications

  10. 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.

  11. 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

  12. What Background is included? • *Evidence*Current Trends and Environment*Historical Perspective

  13. What types of recommendations are included? • *Options*Course of Action*Next Steps*Stakeholder and Partner Support*Compelling close

  14. 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.

  15. 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

  16. 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)

  17. QUESTIONS

  18. Contact Info Donna C. Nichols, MSEd, CHES Director of Health Policy and Partnerships Directors of Health Promotion and Education dnichols@dhpe.org 512-507-4933

More Related