A new case study published in The Journal of Pediatrics details a five-step process designed to help pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists contribute to federal policy on child health and nutrition. The process, created by Stanford Medicine Children’s Health’s Office of Child Health Equity, was used to encourage specialists to participate in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 2023 public comment process regarding regulations aimed at reducing added sugar consumption among children.
The outlined steps included working with policy experts, identifying scholars for evidence-based recommendations, creating an efficient system for submitting comments, securing institutional approval, and promoting the opportunity to provide feedback. This approach led to 65 submissions from pediatric subspecialists, accounting for 16% of all national comments submitted during the FDA’s review period. Most submissions were unique and incorporated personal experiences or patient stories.
Key insights from the initiative emphasized the importance of balancing efficiency with meaningful storytelling, utilizing research expertise for credibility, and recognizing that personalized comments can have a stronger influence on future policies related to child health. The authors suggest that this structured method could be adapted for other issues affecting children’s health and may increase clinician engagement in advocacy efforts. Future efforts may also consider using technology-driven approaches.
Collaborators on the project included Jang Lee from Stanford University School of Medicine; Eimaan Anwar from Boston College of Law; Alison Clayshulte from the University of San Francisco; Lisa J. Chamberlain, Janine Bruce, Noelle H. Ebel, Adrienne Lazaro, Shweta S. Namjoshi, and Anisha I. Patel from Stanford University School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics; as well as Christina Hecht with the Nutrition Policy Institute.
