Evaluating deliberative dialogues focussed on healthy public policy

Area of Science:

• Public Health Policy
• Health Services Research
• Knowledge Translation

Background:

• Deliberative dialogues are gaining traction in public health policy for their potential to influence research evidence use in policymaking.
• An evaluation of three deliberative dialogues focused on healthy public policy was conducted.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess participants' views on key design features of deliberative dialogues.
• To evaluate participants' intention to use research evidence after engaging in the dialogues.

Main Methods:

• Formative assessment of 10 dialogue design features.
• Summative assessment of participants' intention to use research evidence.
• Surveys administered immediately post-dialogue and six months later.
• Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of collected data.

Main Results:

• 31 individuals participated across three dialogues; response rates were 94% initially and 56% at follow-up.
• All 10 examined design features received favorable ratings from all participant groups.
• A mean behavioral intention score of 5.8 (scale 1-7) was observed.

Conclusions:

• Deliberative dialogues are a promising strategy for supporting evidence-informed public health policies.
• Further research is needed to identify optimal design elements for different contexts and issues.
• The suitability of intention to use research evidence as a proxy for actual behavior change requires further investigation.