Demand-Driven Epidemiology How and When Can We Help to Resolve Policy Controversies?

While it is well-known that findings of epidemiologic research can be of great value in guiding public policy, it is not always clear what types of research will be most beneficial, and even whether the capabilities of epidemiologic research can be aligned with the policy question of concern. Only when epidemiologists engage in the complex process of formulating and evaluating policy can we appreciate the opportunities and challenges to our discipline. Demand-driven questions posed to epidemiologists can be quite distinctive from the more general goal of increasing knowledge. Using recent and ongoing issues in diverse realms of public policy bearing on the environment, diet, consumer products, and health behaviors, we will consider: (1) the key unanswered questions that policy makers need to address to improve decisions; (2) the state of current epidemiologic research with regard to the needs and expectations of policy-makers; and (3) what study approaches have the most promise to yield knowledge that would meaningfully refine the scientific foundation for policy decisions. Greater effort to reconcile expectations and capabilities would help to promote further epidemiologic research where feasible and valuable, and equally important, discourage activities that are intended to address policy questions but ineffective for that purpose. Following these examples and the associated “lessons learned”, there will be substantial time for discussion, anticipating the opportunity to draw on the diverse experiences among audience members to further inform the topic and identify ways for the producers and consumers of epidemiologic insights to become better aligned.