Advocacy in the kidney community starts with building relationships, understanding policy
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Key takeaways:
- Advocacy involves building relationships, understanding policy and conducting research.
- Advocacy can be achieved on an individual, group or structural level.
AUSTIN, Texas — In the keynote presentation at the National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings, Lilia Cervantes, MD, detailed a framework for advocacy in the kidney community and called upon nephrologists to take action.
“For those of you who are health care professionals, we take an oath to provide the best care for the patient in front of us.” Cervantes said.
Cervantes referenced an article by Eric Reinhart, MD, PhD, in addition to several studies, arguing that physician burnout is not from overwork, but from the “broken” health care system. Cervantes said that advocacy can be the cure to clinician hopelessness.
Cervantes said the start to advocacy requires building relationships with influential people, health care professionals and patients. According to Cervantes, patients have the least power but the strongest stories. By empowering them and advocating for their cause, Cervantes said patients can lead alongside health care professionals.
Understanding policy and conducting research are additional skills that advocates can use to further their cause, Cervantes said. Resources available include www.congress.gov, www.cms.gov and state websites, according to Cervantes’ presentation.
When Cervantes began her advocacy journey, she conducted qualitative research to provide base information for future studies. For those starting out, Cervantes said semi-structured interviews among a small population can help explore the barriers that exist and identify changes that are needed.
Cervantes said these skills can be applied on individual levels (eg, providing housing for a patient on dialysis), on a group level (eg, changing the way dialysis clinic staff educate patients) or at the structural level (eg, working on a bill to stop discrimination against living organ donors).
“You can use this framework as a guide or create one that will help you navigate and engage in advocacy,” Cervantes said. “And remember that you are the catalyst that can create change.”
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Cervantes L. et al. Keynote Presentation: Off the sidelines and into the game: Engaging in advocacy. Presented at: National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings; April 11-15, 2023; Austin, Texas.
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