University of Colorado researcher
encourages better communication
A commentary by University of Colorado School of Medicine's Dr.
John F. Steiner, published in the Dec. 14 issue of the Journal of
American Medical
Association, highlights communication gaps between the medical research
community and the public.
Steiner said psychological research suggests that people place more
emphasis on stories about individuals than on statistical information
about groups in making decisions, and do not consider sufficiently whether
those
stories are representative of the experiences of others.
This approach can pose a problem for health care researchers who
are trying to gain new knowledge about groups, as well as for policy-makers
who need to make decisions about what is in the best interest of
groups, since their findings or decisions could be unduly influenced by stories
that are
not representative, Steiner said.
"
Researchers design their studies to guard against this problem by
extensively cross-checking the information they receive from research subjects," he
added. "Policy-makers often guard against this by soliciting competing
testimonials, similar to legal proceedings or media reports."
When researchers try to translate research findings into policy or
practice, they typically use only statistical information to do so.
They are then often surprised and frustrated that their audiences do not place
enough
importance on the statistics and seem to be swayed by compelling
testimonials, even if those testimonials conflict with scientific evidence.
Steiner suggests that to do a better job of translating research
into practice, researchers should develop ways to collect stories
that are representative of their findings, and use these stories in communications
with policy-makers, clinicians, and the public.
In turn, he advises the public, news media and elected officials
to demand that anecdotal evidence be adequately backed up with scientific
research.
