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The Power of InformationA Survey of State Health Policymakers
Research Supported by
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Objectives
Identify the formal and informal information sources of state health policy makers
Ascertain usefulness of various modes of communications
Identify and anticipate information needs and health policy priorities
Identify ways to address key issues of import
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Methodology
Telephone Interviews– November 15, 2000 and January 31, 2001
Average length: 38 minutes Random samples from 9 regions of the country
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Sample (n=292; Margin of Error 9%)
Legislators (1398)
Legislative Staff (400)
Executive Managers
(1050)
98
97
97
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Sample (cont.)
Executive branch officials included directors and deputy directors of:- Insurance Departments
- Health Departments- Medicaid programs- SCHIP programs- Agencies on Aging- Mental Health Departments- Budget offices- Governors’ advisors
N = 8-10 per cell
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Profile
Average age: 50- Executive Branch, 51
Current Position: 6.5 years- Executive Branch, 4 years**
In Health: 14.1 years- Executive Branch, 18 years*
* Longest **Shortest
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INFORMATION HABITS
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What percentage of information do you receive do you read or never get to?
40
60
31
69
34
66
35
65
0
20
40
60
80
100
Leg. Staff Exec. Total
Never Get To
Read
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How often do you read an article or report rather than skim? (weekly)
Legislators Legislative Staff Executive Branch
Daily or more
43% 44% 48%
3-4 16% 16% 23%
0-2 27% 35% 24%
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What percent of the information you receive is relevant to you?
49%
Why? Related to current debate (67%) Impact on people/constituents (25%) Experience of states like mine (11%) Easy to read/concise (11%)
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What makes information least useful?
Not relevant (36%) Too long/dense (22%) Too much data/too technical (20%) Not objective/biased (19%) Too general/global (14%)
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What causes you to stop skimming and read an article?
Relevant to current debate/something I am working on 86%
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INFORMATION USE
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How useful is __ in making policy decisions? (1=not at all 5=very)
USEFUL Summaries or briefs
(4.0) Reports on
demographically-similar states (3.9)
Reports on other states in your region (3.9)
In-state meetings (3.5)
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How useful is __ in making policy decisions? (1=not at all 5=very)
USEFUL Summaries or briefs
(4.0) Reports on
demographically-similar states (3.9)
Reports on other states in your region (3.9)
In-state meetings (3.5)
NOT USEFUL Audiotapes of articles
(2.0) Audioconferences (2.0) Listserves (2.7) Press releases (2.7)
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Usefulness Summary
Legislators Legislative Staff
Executive Managers
Summaries/Briefs (3.9)
Internet Websites (4.1)
Summaries/Briefs (4.1)
In-state Meetings Reports on states in region
Reports on demographically-similar states
Reports on states in your region
Summaries/Briefs E-mail
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Usefulness Summary (Executive Branch)
1. Summaries or briefs (4.1)
2. Reports of demographically similar states (3.9)
3. Reports on other states in your region (3.8)
4. Out-of-town meetings (3.6)
5. E-mail (3.8)
6. Internet websites (3.5)
7. Newsletters (3.5)
8. In-state meetings (3.5)
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Rank Data Preference (high = 1; low = 3)
1. Data from your state 1.6
2. State to state comparative data 2.1
3. National data 2.3
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Which health policy journals and newsletters do you read regularly?
State Health Notes 107
Health Affairs 70
JAMA 23
NEJM 20
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Which do you read most frequently: electronic or hard copy?
Legislators Legislative Staff
Executive Managers
TOTAL
Electronic 13% 41% 27% 27%
Hard
Copy80% 52% 64% 65%
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Which do you read most frequently: electronic or hard copy?
AGE <30 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
Electronic 56% 38% 32% 27% 6%
Hard
Copy
11% 58% 61% 66% 88%
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Which in-state meetings do you try to regularly attend?
Health association meetings 36% Don’t attend 30% Agency hearings 27% Issue specific meetings 22%
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Which out-of-town meetings do you try to regularly attend?
Government service org meetings 49% Don’t attend 29% Health professional 19% Federal agency hearings 12% Issue-specific meetings 9%
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Which out-of-town meetings do you try to regularly attend?
n
NCSL 42
NAIC 12
Medicaid Directors 9
Milbank Reforming States 8
Robert Wood Johnson 7
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Who do you trust?
National organizations 73% Publications 33% State organizations 21% Foundations 21% Government agency 19% Think tanks 14% Health care associations 14%
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Who do you trust? (n=244)
n
National Conference of State Legislatures 93
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 31
Kaiser Family Foundation 23
Health Affairs 22
National Governors’ Association 21
Urban Institute 14
State Health Notes 13
Council of State Governments 13
Health Care Financing Administration 13
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Who do you turn to when you need more information?
Government agencies 69% Gov’t service organizations 26% Trade associations 24% Advocacy groups 17%
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Which of the following best matches your feelings?
When I obtain information about health policy I want…
Research findings plus implications and recommendations 89%
Research findings only 10%
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What other information services or materials would be helpful to you?
Better, more timely data 19% More short updates/synopses of
research 12% Get too much 10% Don’t know 17%
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Conclusions
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Information is Highly Valued
44.5% said they read an article or report once a day or more
89.4% said they want the research findings plus the author(s)’ implications or recommendations
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Timeliness is Everything
Enormous time pressures – 35% of what they receive they never get to– Summaries and briefs are most useful (4.0)
Highly focused on current agendas– 86% read for detail if it is relevant to current debate– 63% decide what to read if it is relevant or timely– 49% of what they receive is considered relevant
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Information About States is Valued
Policymakers Value: Data from their own states Reports on states in their region Reports on demographically similar states
But Place Less Value On: National data Reports on bellwether states
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But Keep it Brief!
Overwhelming interest in short summaries Punchy headlines, bullets, graphs make
information more accessible/inviting
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And Layer it!
Legislators rarely want more than a summary. Executive managers want a summary and
details. Legislative staff want it all: Summary, details,
data, and methodology. Use the Web to give readers options.