title: 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.
authors.affiliation: Satcher Health Leadership Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Drive, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA. hheiman@msm.edu.
authors.forename: Harry J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Heiman
authors.affiliation: Satcher Health Leadership Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Drive, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA. llsmith@msm.edu.
authors.forename: L Lerissa
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, GA 30322, USA. mmckool@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Marissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McKool
authors.affiliation: Health Policy Research and Innovation Program, American Institutes for Research, 1000 Thomas 19 Jefferson Street NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA. dmitchell@air.org.
authors.forename: Denise N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Departments of Community Health and Preventive Medicine/Medical Education, Satcher Health Leadership Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Drive, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA. cbayer@msm.edu.
authors.forename: Carey
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roth Bayer
mesh_terms: D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership
keywords: curriculum; education; health disparities; health equity; health in all policies; health policy; health policy training; health professionals; public health; training