The courage to advocate: How two professions approach public advocacy work

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Legal Studies
• Professional Identity

Background:

• Physician health advocacy often focuses on individual patients, neglecting broader public advocacy.
• Public advocacy, defined as effecting societal change, lacks a clear concept and educational foundation.
• This study explores public advocacy approaches and challenges in medicine and law.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand how physicians and lawyers approach public advocacy.
• To identify challenges faced by professionals engaged in public advocacy.
• To explore the role of professional identity in public advocacy.

Main Methods:

• Constructivist grounded theory approach.
• Interviews with 18 professionals (9 physicians, 8 lawyers, 1 dual-qualified).
• Constant comparison for data collection and analysis.

Main Results:

• Public advocacy integrates personal and professional identities.
• Lawyers view public advocacy as intrinsic; physicians see it as external.
• Physicians leverage professional attitudes; lawyers use professional skills.
• Public advocacy entails personal and professional risks.

Conclusions:

• Legal professionals more readily embrace public advocacy than physicians.
• Professional identity influences public advocacy approaches.
• Interprofessional collaboration can refine public advocacy skills and education.