The unbearable lightness of healthcare policy making: a description of a process aimed at giving it some weight.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether a structured process to involve policy makers in designing a research project on a return to work insurance policy would yield evidence that was relevant, useful, and used in policy decisions.


METHODS
Case study.


METHODS
Norway.


METHODS
Two researchers from the National Institute of Public Health and four representatives from respectively the National Insurance Administration, Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry, and Norwegian Medical Association.


METHODS
Structured discussions of the research, including the objectives, interventions, design, and interpretation of the results.


RESULTS
The participants succeeded in designing and completing a cluster randomised controlled trial through the participatory process. Intermediary results from the trial have been used in practical planning within the National Insurance Administration, but there are few indications that the main results of the trial have been used.


CONCLUSIONS
This approach of involving policy makers in the research planning process when political or organisational values are at stake did not succeed in this case. The salient explanations for this are conflicting interests of the organisations involved in the process and the research findings were in conflict with those interests.
Scheel
I B
IB
Department of Social Services Research, Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs, Oslo, Norway. inger.scheel@shdir.no
Hagen
K B
KB
Oxman
A D
AD
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D003657:Decision Making; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007341:Insurance; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D009664:Norway; D011050:Policy Making; D012107:Research Design; D018582:Sick Leave