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  • Training Matters
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Advocacy training in neurology: scope and impact

Nature Clinical Practice Neurology volume 4, pages 114–115 (2008)Cite this article

boxed-textAdvocacy is a process used to bring about change in the policies, laws and practices of individuals, groups, institutions and governments. By identifying the needs of the community, developing a plan of action, and bringing attention to the relevant issues, advocates take a leadership role in effecting change. Advocacy in the medical profession is gaining in importance as this profession must contend with a complex social and political environment that impacts directly on patient care and physician autonomy. A number of medical specialties recognize the need for organized professional advocacy by devoting substantial resources to both staff programs dedicated to advocacy and physician advocacy training opportunities. Medical specialties with well known programs for organized professional advocacy include family practice, orthopedic surgery, ophthalmology, cardiology and neurology.

Despite the need for structured advocacy training early in medical education, few specialties have developed such training during residency. One notable exception is the requirement of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in the US that pediatric residency programs include training in advocacy. A survey-based study conducted by Wright et al. to examine pediatric residents' need for and attitude about advocacy training found that nearly 90% of residents felt the training was necessary, and 82% thought that their advocacy activities would continue following residency.1 Several studies have been published in recent years that are related to the curriculum and the success of child advocacy training programs in pediatric residency programs.2,3,4,5,6

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. M Wasay is an Associate Professor of Neurology at The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.,

    Mohammad Wasay

  2. E Hauth is formerly the Associate Director of Advocacy for the American Academy of Neurology, and is currently Executive Director of the Neuromodulation Therapy Access Coalition, Arden Hills, MN, USA.,

    Eric Hauth

Authors
  1. Mohammad Wasay
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  2. Eric Hauth
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammad Wasay.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Wasay, M., Hauth, E. Advocacy training in neurology: scope and impact. Nat Rev Neurol 4, 114–115 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpneuro0664

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