Health Advocacy
What is Health Advocacy?
What is advocacy and why should I care? Health advocacy can happen on a personal level--knowing what your health needs are and meeting them adequately--or on a societal level.
The government's role in health care is enormous--from setting staffing levels at hospitals and nursing homes, licensing doctors and nurses, funding community health clinics, monitoring ambulance services, oversight of HMOs, putting fluoride in the water, to spraying for mosquitoes for West Nile Virus. Health care policy is shaped through a combination of laws, rulings and regulations in governmental arenas at the local, state and federal level.
You can influence health policy issues. How? Find out more about health advocacy at these sites:
- NACCHO: National Association of County and City Health Officials
- The Health Advocacy Toolbox
- Kaiser Family Foundation Reference Library
Current Issues
Want to stay up-to-date on current Health Advocacy issues?
Useful Links
- American Latex Allergy Assoction (ALERT, INC.): ALERT creates awareness of latex allergy through education and provides support to individuals who have been diagnosed with latex allergy.
- Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA): AAFA is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with asthma and allergies and their caregivers through education, research and advocacy.
- Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FANN): FANN raises public awareness, provides advocacy and education, and advances reasearch on behalf o fall those affected by food allergies and anaphylaxis.
- Agency for HealthCare Research and Quality (AHCPR): AHCPR provides information on healthcare quality and other issues on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- National Woman's Health Network
- Patient Advocate Foundation: Foundation that serves as a liason between patient and doctor, insurance, etc.
- Academy Health: Advancing research, policy and practice.
- Center for Studying Health System Change
- Institute of Medicine: The IOM's mission is to serve as adviser to the nation to improve health. The Institute provides unbiased, evidence-based, and authoritative information and advice concerning health and science policy to policy-makers, professionals, leaders in every sector of society, and the public at large.
- Kaisernetwork.org: The mission of the Kaiser Family Foundation is to provide timely, reliable, and non-partisan information on national health issues to policymakers, the media, and the general public.
- RAND: Non-profit organization that helps improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis.
- MedlinePlus: Healthy Web-surfing tips.
- QuackWatch: Guide to "quackery", health fraud, and intelligent decisions.
