1. A 6-year update of the health policy and advocacy priorities of the Society of Behavioral Medicine
- Author
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Buscemi, Joanna, Bennett, Gary G., Gorin, Sherri S., Pagoto, Sherry L., Sallis, Jim, Wilson, Dawn F., and Fitzgibbon, Marian L.
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Capacity Building ,Clinical Sciences ,Oncology and Carcinogenesis ,Public policy ,030209 endocrinology & metabolism ,Public administration ,and research governance ,8.3 Policy ,Behavioral Medicine ,03 medical and health sciences ,Behavioral Neuroscience ,Cross-cultural psychology ,0302 clinical medicine ,Clinical Research ,Medical ,Behavioral and Social Science ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Public engagement ,Health behavior ,Applied Psychology ,Health policy ,Societies, Medical ,Consumer Advocacy ,Health Psychology ,business.industry ,Research translation ,Health Priorities ,Public health ,Health Policy ,Behavior change ,Practice and Public Health Policies ,Legislature ,Advocacy ,Health Services ,ethics ,United States ,Quality Education ,Health psychology ,Good Health and Well Being ,business ,Societies ,Health and social care services research - Abstract
Government policy affects virtually every topic of interest to health behavior researchers, from research funding to reimbursement for clinical services to application of evidence to impact health outcomes. This paper provides a 6-year update on the expansion of Society of Behavioral Medicine's (SBM) public policy and advocacy agenda and proposed future directions. SBM's Health Policy Council is responsible for ensuring coordination of the policy-related activities of the Health Policy Committee (HPC), the Civic and Public Engagement Committee (CPEC), and the Scientific and Professional Liaison Council (SPLC). These committees and councils have written letters to Congress, signed onto advocacy letters with hundreds of organizations, and developed and disseminated 15 health policy briefs, the majority of which have been presented to legislative staffers on Capitol Hill. With the assistance of the SPLC, SBM has collaborated on policy efforts with like-minded organizations to increase the impact of the Society's policy work. Moving forward, SBM plans to continue to increase efforts to disseminate policy work more broadly and develop long-term relationships with Congressional staffers. SBM leadership realizes that to remain relevant, demonstrate impact, and advance the role of behavioral medicine, we must advance a policy agenda that reflects our mission of better health through behavior change.
- Published
- 2017