title: Introduction to Evidence-Based Decision Making in a Public Workers' Compensation Agency.
abstract: Peer-reviewed medical literature plays a decisive role in policy development at the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). L&I relies on multiple evidence-based mechanisms to make coverage decisions and translate medical science into public policy, including statute, rule writing, executive policy, real-time evidence assessment, pilot testing, and collaboration with researchers. Elements of L&I's policy process structure and evidence-based culture are also observed in original literature discussing the needs and barriers of incorporating evidence into public policy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Washington, Box 359739, 325 9th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Office of the Medical Director, PO Box 44315, Olympia, WA 98504-4315, USA. Electronic address: nreul@uw.edu.
authors.forename: Nicholas K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Reul
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011640:Public Policy; D014481:United States; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: Evidence based; Industrial insurance; Policy development; Public policy; Workers’ compensation