Health policy roundtable panel discussion: translating health insurance studies into policy proposals

Researchers often wonder whether and how their studies are translated into policy or practice. AcademyHealth convened a roundtable of experts at the organization's 2003 Annual Research Meeting in Nashville to discuss how research on health insurance enters the policy process. The participants drew on their experience at the state, federal, and local levels to suggest ways that policy researchers can maximize the likelihood that their work will be used by decision-makers. The following report is based on the transcript from this 90-minute discussion; it captures the panel's answers to a series of questions posed by session-chair, Sherry Glied.