Health Policy Training: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

The context within which health care and public health systems operate is framed by health policies. There is growing consensus about the need for increased health policy leadership and a health professional workforce prepared to assume these leadership roles. At the same time, there is strong evidence supporting the need for a broader policy lens and the need to intentionally target health disparities. We reviewed the published literature between 1983 and 2013 regarding health policy training. From 5124 articles identified, 33 met inclusion criteria. Articles varied across common themes including target audience, goal(s), health policy definition, and core curricular content. The majority of articles were directed to medical or nursing audiences. Most articles framed health policy as health care policy and only a small number adopted a broader health in all policies definition. Few articles specifically addressed vulnerable populations or health disparities. The need for more rigorous research and evaluation to inform health policy training is compelling. Providing health professionals with the knowledge and skills to engage and take leadership roles in health policy will require training programs to move beyond their limited health care-oriented health policy framework to adopt a broader health and health equity in all policies approach.

Understanding health policy leaders’ training needs

“…The answers to these questions as well as the results from this study may spark new thinking about intentional training in health policy leadership across a variety of disciplines including medicine, nursing, public health, law, political science, psychology, and others. Given the limited evidence to inform the development of health policy training programs[11–12], future research addressing these questions may help to set benchmarks or desired outcomes for such programs.…”

“…As disciplines across healthcare (e.g. medical, public health, nursing) have cited a need for health policy leadership[3–8,12], our assessment helps to begin building a foundation of evidence to inform the development of such trainings.…”

“…Very little exists in the literature on specific health policy training programs and learner outcomes and impact[12]. While this study provides valuable information regarding health policy training needs from a convenience sample of professionals engaged in health policy, it does not address a number of critical issues regarding health policy training looking forward – specifically: How does health policy training intentionally move beyond “healthcare” policy to adopt a health in all policies lens and approach?…”

Leveraging Science to Advance Health Equity: A Regional Health Policy Research Center’s Approach

“…Some research findings have already been published. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] The articles published in this supplement add to this body of knowledge. A comprehensive TCC outcomes and impact evaluation is currently underway and will be published upon its completion.…”

Impact of web‐based learning for health program planning competency, knowledge and skills among mid‐level public health nurses: A randomized controlled trial

“…To improve health outcomes and equity, it is necessary to develop health policies and needs‐oriented services as a basis for protecting community health (World Health Organization & Government of South Australia, ). Health‐care professionals need greater health policy leadership and competency (Heiman, Smith, McKool, Mitchell, & Bayer, ). Public health nurses (PHNs) have engaged in addressing social justice issues and improving health inequality through policy development and system‐level changes (American Public Health Association & Public Health Nursing Section, ).…”