The JeffSTARS Advocacy and Community Partnership Elective: A Closer Look at Child Health Advocacy in Action

Date of Review: January, 2019

This resource, from MedEdPORTAL, describes a comprehensive, four week Advocacy and Community Partnership Elective housed within a larger curriculum focused on aiding trainees in understanding social determinants of health, health policy, and advocacy at both the community and legislative levels. Learners may be either M4s or PGY2/3s as they will spend a significant amount of time in the experiential and didactic components of the elective: 50% with community advocates, 20% in didactic/reflection, and 30% in patient care over the course of the elective. While full implementation of this program requires significant resources, the seminar materials could also be used for individual learning sessions. The packet includes detailed guides to implement the full curriculum, including seminar materials, learning objectives, implementation checklists, and recommended characteristics of facilitators. The authors note that full implementation of the curriculum requires significant planning, community partnerships, a faculty champion, a dedicated educational coordinator, and support of the division or residency program. Learners are mentored by both faculty and community members throughout the elective and complete a health policy brief and spend time talking with legislators. Learners were assessed on based on their work products, and project outcomes included publications, meeting presentations, op-ed pieces in major newspapers, and policy change. Leaner feedback indicates self-reported improvement in knowledge and skills.— Brigid Dolan, MD, NCEAS & Katy Wright, PhD, NCEAS

Corresponding Author’s Email:

ekc16@caa.columbia.edu

Institution:

Thomas Jefferson University and Nemours duPont Philadelphia

Where Was the Curriculum Implemented?

Philadelphia, PA

Source of the Curriculum/Resource:

MedEdPORTAL

Clinical Specialty:

Family and Community Medicine, Pediatrics,

Outcomes that Have Been Reported for the Curriculum:

Measured in learner knowledge

Number of advocacy publications published by trainees; interest/participation of faculty and visiting students

Outcome and Study Design:

Post Only

Level of Learner Assessment:

Appreciation of content/attitude assessment (self reflection, blogging with rubric)

Demonstration of skill with patients in the clinical or community setting (direct observation, 360 assessment, patient surveys)