title: It's academic: public policy activities among faculty members in a department of medicine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether and how faculty members in a department of medicine are engaged in public policy activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between February and April 2011, the authors conducted a cross-sectional, Web-based survey of all active Department of Medicine faculty members at the University of California, San Francisco. Survey questions covered demographics, academic role, academic rank, and participation in three specific public policy activities during the past five years: (1) policy-related research, (2) expert advice to government officials, and (3) public policy advocacy in collaboration with organizations outside government.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred twenty of 553 faculty (40%) responded to the survey. One hundred twenty-four faculty members (56% of respondents and 22% of total active faculty) reported that they were engaged in at least one of the three types of policy-related activities: 51 (23%) conducted policy-related research, 67 (30%) provided expert advice to government officials, and 93 (42%) collaborated with organizations to advocate for public policy. Higher faculty rank was significantly associated with faculty members reporting that they were involved in one or more of the three policy activities (P = .04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Academic departments should identify public policy expertise among their faculty and leverage this expertise by facilitating opportunities to develop a shared faculty awareness of their public policy activities, by supporting the establishment of mentoring relationships for less experienced faculty in the area of public policy, and by incorporating standards of excellence for work in public policy into the promotions process.
authors: Mr. Jacobs is a third-year medical student, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, California. Dr. Greene is a fellow in medicine-geriatrics, UCSF, San Francisco, California. Dr. Bindman is professor of medicine, health policy, epidemiology, and biostatistics, UCSF, San Francisco, California.
authors: Douglas B
authors: DB
authors: Jacobs
authors: Meredith
authors: M
authors: Greene
authors: Andrew B
authors: AB
authors: Bindman
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002322:Career Mobility; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008611:Mentors; D008875:Middle Aged; D011640:Public Policy; D011643:Publishing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012106:Research; D012380:Role; D012495:San Francisco; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
references: Ann Intern Med. 2002  Feb 5;136(3):243-6
references: 11827500
references: JAMA. 2006 Nov 22;296(20):2467-75
references: 17119143
references: Acad Med. 2011 Mar;86(3):378-83
references: 21248605