How to prepare a medical family therapy policy brief

Abstract

Despite evidence indicating that Medical Family Therapy (MedFT) can improve patient health outcomes and help to mitigate adverse impacts of medical and behavioral health illnesses on families, they are not typically integrated into most clinical infrastructures (Phelps, Hodgson, Lamson, Swanson, & White, 2012; Phelps et al., 2009). This primarily stems from a lack in understanding the role and integration of MedFTs in healthcare settings (Fox, Hodgson, & Lamson, 2012). In fact, while low-income populations are most likely to benefit from the use of MedFT, due to their high risk for chronic medical conditions and co-morbid behavioral health issues, few understand the impact of providing MedFT to underserved populations (Petterson, Williams, Hauenstein, Rovnyak, & Merwin, 2009). Given the novelty of MedFT in practice and research, much work is still needed regarding their impact on healthcare costs and revenues. By collecting, organizing, and simplifying disparate approaches to improving healthcare quality and health outcomes, policy briefs can provide an effective way to strengthen the relationship between research and health policy.