Policy What government does Making decisions, discretion, unstructured, consequential What government chooses to do and what not to do

Major Health Policy Domains Public health Research Workforce Financing health care

Federal Health Policy Agencies Public health – –CDC, FDA Research – –NIH, AHRQ Workforce – –HRSA Financing health care – –CMS

Health Policy Extends Beyond Federal Level Federal Medicare, VA, Tricare State – –Medicaid, CHIP – –Insurance Exchange Local – –Indigent care including immigrants

Role of Research in Health Policy Identify problems in need of solution To provide evidence regarding policy options To monitor/evaluate whether policy is achieving goals

How Does Research Reach Policymakers Media Direct communication with policymakers Stakeholders Collaborative research

Communicating Research for Policymakers Contextualize the research Simplify the story The research is a supporting element not typically the story

Translating Research into Policy Evidence based advocacy Rarely works as an afterthought Requires an active multi-pronged approach Skillset complimentary to but separate from research skills

Disparities in Medi-Cal Research grant to study problem – –Scientifically rigorous – –End users engaged Scientific dissemination – –Scientific meetings – –Peer-review publications Translating research to policy – –Stakeholder engagement – –Direct communication with policymakers

Homework Assignment What level of government did I target to translate my research into policy and why did this make the most sense? What level of government makes the most sense for you to translate your research into policy and why? What strategies did I use to reach policymakers? What steps are available to you to reach policymakers?