title: Legislative advocacy: evaluation of a grand rounds intervention for pediatricians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of a Grand Rounds Action Alert (GRAA) intervention on the behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes of pediatric grand rounds (GR) attendees; and to assess its acceptability.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional, quasi-experimental study was performed at a freestanding children's hospital. GRAA on child health legislative topics were presented in the first 2 minutes of the pediatric GR session as well as posted outside. Each session included an action item, such as writing/signing letters to elected officials or informational sheets with legislator contact information. Main outcome measures included self-reported behavior, advocacy knowledge, attitudes, and acceptability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One year after GRAA implementation, GR attendees with high exposure to the intervention were more likely to have written/signed a letter to a legislator compared to those with low/no exposure (60% vs 35%, P = .016). Those with high exposure were also more knowledgeable regarding financing of health care for low-income children (20% vs 5%, P = .027). Attitudes toward advocacy at baseline were positive: respondents agreed it is important to remain informed about (98%) and advocate for (94%) legislation favorable to children's health. Implementing this program was challenging, but the intervention was accepted favorably: 93% of respondents agreed that GRAA should continue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GRAA facilitated participation in legislative advocacy behaviors while improving self-perceived knowledge of legislative issues relating to children's health. They were well received in a large tertiary children's hospital.
authors.affiliation: Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif. Electronic address: bensen@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bensen
authors.affiliation: Division of General Pediatrics, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, Calif.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Development, California State University, Sacramento, Calif.
authors.forename: Melina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bersamin
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Policy, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif; Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, Calif.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horwitz
authors.affiliation: Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, Calif.
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Chamberlain
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002651:Child Advocacy / Q000193:education* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006291:Health Policy; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010819:Physician's Role; D056164:Teaching Rounds / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: advocacy; education; grand rounds