Massachusetts Legislators Learn about Evidence-Informed Health Policy

Is data the plural of anecdote? What is the value of using evidence—research and studies—to help inform policy and budget decisions? How do you distinguish good evidence from bad?

These were some of the questions tackled at an Evidence-Informed Health Policy Workshop held earlier this month in response to a request from the Massachusetts Senate. The workshops, offered jointly by the Milbank Memorial Fund (MMF) and the Center for Evidence-based Policy (CEbP), are paid for by the MMF. They were held to help policymakers in the state gain a better understanding of what evidence is, why it’s important, and how to use it.

In the workshops, created especially for the Massachusetts audience, policymakers learned about different types of evidence—those developed with the most scientific rigor (systematic reviews and meta analyses), other types of studies (randomized controlled and cohort studies) on down to editorials and opinion pieces.

“The Milbank Memorial Fund’s presentation to the Massachusetts State Senate and subsequently to the State House general public was very informative and relevant,” said Massachusetts Senate Majority Leader Harriette L. Chandler. “Topics that were addressed were ones already pending before the Legislature, and I was impressed by the breadth and depth of knowledge that Milbank brought to the table. Evidence-informed methods are just what we need to improve policy decisions that impact the health of populations.” The workshops, which were run by staff from the MMF and CEbP, are available to other interested policymakers. More information is available here.