Examining the role of health services research in public policymaking.
Conceptual, methodological, and practical issues await those who seek to understand how to make better use of health services research in developing public policy. Some policies and some policymaking processes may lend themselves particularly well to being informed by research. Different conclusions about the extent to which policymaking is informed by research may arise from different views about what constitutes health services research (is it citable research or any professional social inquiry that can aid in problem solving?) or different views about what constitutes research use (is it explicit uses of research only, or does it also include tacit knowledge or the positions of stakeholders when they are informed by research and are influential in the policymaking process?). Some conditions may favor the use of research in policymaking, like sustained interactions between researchers and policymakers. Results from an exploratory study on the use of health services research by Canadian provincial policymakers illustrate these issues.
Lavis
John N
JN
McMaster University, Institute for Work & Health, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. lavisj@mcmaster.ca
Ross
Suzanne E
SE
Hurley
Jeremiah E
JE
Hohenadel
Joanne M
JM
Stoddart
Gregory L
GL
Woodward
Christel A
CA
Abelson
Julia
J
D026683:Advisory Committees; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006291:Health Policy; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario; D011050:Policy Making; D011635:Public Health Administration; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012525:Saskatchewan