Why Advocate?
“When treating a gunshot wound, trauma surgeons follow the trajectory of a bullet through the body and attempt to reverse its effects, treating haemorrhage, suturing together what it divided and restoring normal anatomy …. To prevent gun violence, the trajectory can and must be traced back further: to the muzzle of the gun, the magazine which held the bullet, the finger that pulled the trigger, the hands that bought and sold the weapon and to the corporation that manufactured it. Bullets not only reverberate through patients’ bodies, but also through our society, causing incalculable trauma beyond tissue, blood vessels and organs. They destroy the psyche of families and the fabric of communities … even with the best tools and training, no surgeon can fix. As witness to these harms, physicians are uniquely positioned to advocate for the prevention of firearm injury.”
These are the final paragraphs from Ng-Kamstra and Lajoie’s 2020 BMJ Injury Prevention paper detailing the origin story of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns. Physicians have had a long history advocating for the health and safety of the populations that we serve. Physicians have advocated for safety labeling on tobacco products, seat belt laws, safer workplaces, climate change policy, vaccination, gun safety legislation, and physicians world-wide advocated loudly with public officials for evidence-based harm reduction strategies to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada identify Health Advocate as one of the CanMEDS principles. Too often, physicians lack the necessary tools to communicate effectively with decision makers in order to translate relevant clinical knowledge into public policy. The approach, language and lens of decision making in clinical medicine differs vastly from those of public health policy and legislation to support public health policy. Furthermore, physicians lack the effective tools and training to engage in system level physician advocacy to support evidence informed legislation in relevant areas.
We believe this toolkit will help build physician competence in advocacy for informed, system level change that can improve the health outcomes of at-risk populations for many numerous public health initiatives. It provides essential resources for understanding how policy decisions are made and outlines a framework for strategic communication with key public and policy stakeholders, a strategy for effective media relations, offers an approach to coalition building, and supplies writing materials for a public audience.
Advocacy is our responsibility as physicians and duty as citizens.
On behalf of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, I hope this tool kit is helpful to you, and we look forward to learning about your advocacy in the future.
Dr. Najma Ahmed
Co-founder, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
These are the final paragraphs from Ng-Kamstra and Lajoie’s 2020 BMJ Injury Prevention paper detailing the origin story of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns. Physicians have had a long history advocating for the health and safety of the populations that we serve. Physicians have advocated for safety labeling on tobacco products, seat belt laws, safer workplaces, climate change policy, vaccination, gun safety legislation, and physicians world-wide advocated loudly with public officials for evidence-based harm reduction strategies to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada identify Health Advocate as one of the CanMEDS principles. Too often, physicians lack the necessary tools to communicate effectively with decision makers in order to translate relevant clinical knowledge into public policy. The approach, language and lens of decision making in clinical medicine differs vastly from those of public health policy and legislation to support public health policy. Furthermore, physicians lack the effective tools and training to engage in system level physician advocacy to support evidence informed legislation in relevant areas.
We believe this toolkit will help build physician competence in advocacy for informed, system level change that can improve the health outcomes of at-risk populations for many numerous public health initiatives. It provides essential resources for understanding how policy decisions are made and outlines a framework for strategic communication with key public and policy stakeholders, a strategy for effective media relations, offers an approach to coalition building, and supplies writing materials for a public audience.
Advocacy is our responsibility as physicians and duty as citizens.
On behalf of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, I hope this tool kit is helpful to you, and we look forward to learning about your advocacy in the future.
Dr. Najma Ahmed
Co-founder, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
| cdpg-advocacy_tool_kit.pdf |
