Advocacy for Yourself and Others - Aug 10, 2022

advocacy  noun : the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal : the act or process of advocating something

From the Merriam-Webster dictionary

 

On Wednesday August 10, 2022 at 8pm ET ( 7pm CT 5pm PT), the #gyncsm community will be chatting about Advocacy. At times, we as patients are advocating for ourselves to ensure we receive the correct and appropriate care. As a caregiver we may be advocating for our loved one in order to have tests done quickly. As a gyn onc, we may be advocating for a patient to receive approval for a test from an insurance company.

But advocacy can be more than that. We may choose to work with an awareness organization to raise awareness of symptoms. Or advocate to increase awareness of inequities in cancer care or in support of the HPV vaccination to reduce cervical cancers. We may also advocate with our state and federal government to increase funding for gynecologic cancer research. We may advocate to be part of our cancer center's patient advisory board or to have a support group formed or for patients to receive more information about diet and exercise. We, at times, may face barriers in our efforts and have to change our methods. 

Join us on Wednesday as we chat about Advocacy for Yourself and Others. Hear from others about different types of advocacy, methods they used, barriers they faced, skills they learned, and groups that focus on advocating for gyn cancer patients.

 

Guiding our discussion will be the following Topic Questions:

T1: What are some of the different types of healthcare advocacy?

T2a: What are some of the ways that you personally advocate for yourself, loved ones, your patients, or larger groups within healthcare?
T2b: What prompted you to "put on your advocacy hat"?

T3: What are some of the skills and tools you think are needed to be an effective advocate in the healthcare system?

T4: What are some of the barriers you have experienced in advocating for yourself and/or others? Any tips to pass along?

T5: What are some of the organizations, programs and resources that have helped you become a more confident advocate and/or provide opportunities for you to advocate? Feel free to share their twitter handle and/or website.

T6: Are there things that groups focusing on advocating for gyn cancer patients, those with and at-risk for hereditary cancer, and cancer in general could provide to better support you when it comes to advocacy? What issues in the gyn cancer community do we need to draw attention to? 

 

See you Wednesday!

Dee and Christina