Search

Advocacy and political action will play a major role in improving access to dermatologic care in rural areas. While access to care is limited for patients with dermatologic disease in many parts of the United States, rural locations are most severely affected. This is demonstrated by delays in diagnosis and treatment, longer wait times to see a clinician, and less frequent follow-up visits with providers. This chapter provides a detailed blueprint for best practices in building a successful political action plan to advance a policy agenda. This is followed by case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of this process in achieving public funding for impactful programs, reforming regulations, and enacting state laws. It is hoped that this will motivate dermatologists to political action as they gain confidence that this work, however long and arduous, can have a significant impact on dermatologic patients.