Policy-making requires evidence-based research
Policy-making must be based on research. However, bringing these two processes together can be challenging. Sometimes experts’ opinions differ from each other, and it is generally difficult in today’s information society to recognize causal relationships or the quality of data. These are the themes of the 2013 Research Day of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH).
You can join us online from 9 am onwards (+2 hrs UTC).
“It is fundamentally important that the regulations developed to protect the public’s health and environment be based on accurate, non-conflicted science. Scientists must not have financial conflicts of interest in the issues on which policy-makers ask for their advice,” says David Michaels, USA’s Assistant Secretary of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
“While conflicted scientists may believe that their opinions, or their work, are not influenced by financial conflict, there is extensive evidence that these conflicts do in fact influence both the outcome of scientific research and the advice scientific experts provide policy-makers”, he continues.
In Michaels’ opinion, policy-makers and the scientific community need to develop tools together to protect the integrity of the science on which public policy is based.
Cochrane collaboration collects evidence of risks and their prevention
Cochrane reviews provide the perfect basis for policy-making, as they have systematically studied all the reliable research data available on the subject in question.
“In order to be able to make recommendations on, for example, occupational health, we first of all need evidence that there are risks in work which should be eliminated. Next we need evidence on the most efficient intervention to eliminate these risks. We especially need better, further evidence on what works in practice,” says Jos Verbeek, Senior Researcher at FIOH.
For example, one Cochrane review showed that needlestick injuries can be prevented by using blunt needles instead of sharp needles in surgery. Health care staff can contract hepatitis or HIV, for example, through a needlestick injury.
”Needlestick injuries can be reduced by over 50 per cent by using blunt needles. Health authorities in the USA have now stipulated that blunt needles must always be used when possible,” Verbeek states.
Wicked problems require novel solutions
Today’s political decisions are made in very different environments. The interconnectivity of people, organizations, and societies has increased, and the ease of gathering information has become more important than its actual quality. Causality is difficult to identify, and some decisions lead to outcomes that are the exact opposite of that which was intended.
”When there are many uncertainties and disagreements in the decision-making process, the arising problems can be described as wicked problems,” says Olli-Pekka Heinonen, State Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office.
In Heinonen’s view, the role of facts in policy-making must be strengthened, as evidence-based decision-making makes it easier to consider different options. However, in order to better understand each other’s needs and to improve trust, there should be more collaboration between the parties involved in policy-making.
“Experimenting is one way of solving wicked problems: it helps us quickly obtain information on what works and what does not. At the same time, the different parties learn from each other,” Heinonen claims.
David Michaels, USA’s Assistant Secretary of Labor, was the Jorma Rantanen Lecturer at FIOH’s Research Day, 2013. Michaels has an outstanding career as both a university professor and government official, in working to reduce risks to health at workplaces.
Further information
David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, michaels.david[at]dol.gov
Jos Verbeek, Senior Researcher, FIOH, tel. +358 30 474 7289, +358 46 810 8709, jos.verbeek[at]ttl.fi
Olli-Pekka Heinonen, State Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 295 160 280, olli-pekka.heinonen[at]vnk.fi
Research Day 2013
General on the FIOH Research Day
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health researches, develops and specializes in well-being at work. It promotes occupational health and safety and the well-being of workers. It is an independent institution under public law, working under the administrative sector of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. It has six regional offices, and its headquarters are in Helsinki. It employs about 750 people.