breakthrough advocacy for research

Breakthrough Advocacy for Research

Breakthrough Advocacy for Research

Mary WoolleyPresident, Research!America

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation FellowsWashington, DCOctober 2, 2008

Mary WoolleyPresident, Research!America

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation FellowsWashington, DCOctober 2, 2008

“Every public health decision is made on a political decision.”

– William Foege, MD, MPHSeptember 10, 2003Senior Fellow, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Former Director, CDC

“Every public health decision is made on a political decision.”

– William Foege, MD, MPHSeptember 10, 2003Senior Fellow, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Former Director, CDC

Research!America: 19 Years of Putting Research on the Public Agenda

• Non-profit alliance with 500 member organizations drawn from academia, business, patient organizations and scientific societies representing more than 125 million Americans

• Distinguished, all-volunteer board includes former elected and appointed officials, media and public relations leaders, and leaders from alliance member organizations

Research!America’s Mission

• Make medical and health research, including research to prevent disease, disability and injury, a much higher national priority

Research!America Goals:

• Ensure that the public hears about research and its benefits

• Achieve more funding for medical and health research

• Advocate a policy climate that stimulates rather than impedes research

• Empower others to advocate for medical and health research

Advocacy vs. Lobbying

• To advocate simply means to speak up, to plead the case of another or to champion a causeIt is something that most of us routinely do on behalf of our families, our neighbors, our friends and ourselves

• Lobbying, in general, consists of communications intended to influence specific legislation.

2009 Research Budget Update

Campaign for Public Health

Evan Jones, chairman, Campaign for Public Health, chairman of the board, Digene Corporation

CPH is comprised of prominent leaders in the public health community dedicated to advocacy that will accelerate the growth of federal appropriations for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Karl B. Moeller, Executive [email protected]

www.fundcdc.org

What’s Happening to Accomplish This Goal

• House and Senate Staff Trips to Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in Atlanta

• Creation of Congressional Study Group on Public Health

• Advertising

• Business Leader Engagement

Research!America: Defining and Delivering Messages That Work

• Aspirational messages (Then…Now…Imagine)

• Economic impact messages

• Cost savings messages

Research Takes Cents

• Americans spent more than $35 billion on lawn and garden products in 2007

• That could fund the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention at current levels for more than five years!

Sources: National Gardening Association; CDC FY08

Prematurity

THEN…

deaths of newborns from respiratory distress syndrome totaled more than 10,000 a year in the 1950s

NOW…

with the discovery and development of artificial lung surfactant deaths of premature newborns from RDS have decreased to fewer than 1,000 in 2002

IMAGINE…

preventing premature births completely

Source: March of Dimes

Economic Impact Messages

• Research drives innovation and productivity

• Research creates jobs

• Research fuels local & regional economies

• Research helps control health care costs

Research!America Polls:

• Commissioning public opinion polls on research issues for more than 16 years:

• National Polls

• State-Based Polls

• Issue-Specific Polls• Telephone (random-digit dialing) polls are conducted with

a sample size of 800-1000 adults (age 18+) and a maximum theoretical sampling error of +/- 3.5 percent. Data are demographically representative of adult U.S. residents (state or national).

“…public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed.”

–Abraham Lincoln

“…public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed.”

–Abraham Lincoln

“As a member of the U.S. Senate, it is incumbent upon me to hear the public voice about important issues. Research!America, through its national surveys, gives me added evidence of the importance of medical and health research to our citizenry—information necessary to make informed decisions where the public’s welfare is concerned.” –Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Ranking Member, LHHS Subcommittee

“As a member of the U.S. Senate, it is incumbent upon me to hear the public voice about important issues. Research!America, through its national surveys, gives me added evidence of the importance of medical and health research to our citizenry—information necessary to make informed decisions where the public’s welfare is concerned.” –Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Ranking Member, LHHS Subcommittee

Americans Don’t Know Where Research is Conducted

Source: Your Congress–Your Health Survey, 2007Charlton Research Company for Research!America

28%1%1%

1%1%1%1%1%

1%64%

Other

Merck

Children's Hospital

University of Michigan

Cleveland Clinic

National Institutes of Health

Pfizer

St. Jude

Johns Hopkins University

Don't Know

Do you know of any institutions, companies or organizations where medical or health research is conducted?

Most Americans Can’t Name a Living Scientist

Source: Bridging the Sciences Survey, 2006Charlton Research Company for Research!America

Can you give me the name of a living scientist?

15%

1%

1%

1%

8%

74%None/don't know

Stephen Hawking

Albert Einstein

Bill Gates

Robert Jarvick

Other

Public Trust in Sources ofResearch Information

Source: National Survey, 2005Charlton Research Company for Research!America

As you are probably aware, there are many sources of information about medical and health research issues. For each of these sources, I’d like you to tell me how

trustworthy you think the information they provide is? (% responses trustworthy)

Nurses 96%

Pharmacists 95%

Your Physician 95%

Medical Schools and Teaching Hospitals 93%

Your Dentist 92%

Voluntary Health Agencies 89%

Government Agencies (such as NIH and CDC) 83%

The Internet 56%

Media Sources 55%

Pharmaceutical Companies 53%

Americans Want More Spent on Public Health Research


Currently, the U.S. spends about one cent of every health care dollar on prevention and public health research. How many cents of each

health dollar do you think we SHOULD spend?

13%

10%

10%

67%

Don't know

1 cent

2 cents

3 cents or more

Investing in Health Can Change the World

18%

16%

12%

11%

8%

6%

5%

4%

Gas prices/energyissues/alternative fuels

Healthcare/medicine/cures

Reducehomelessness/poverty

World peace/peace in Iraq

Education

Improve/protectenvironment

Help our own people

Economy/jobs

Attitudes: Global Health ResearchCharlton Research for Research!America, 2006

If the U.S. decided to invest in one thing to really make a difference in the world, what do you think that one thing should be? (first mentions)

Americans Willing to Pay for Global Health Research

Attitudes: Global Health ResearchCharlton Research for Research!America, 2006

Would you still agree that the United States government spends too little on research designed to improve health around the world if you were told it would mean slightly higher taxes or less money available for other spending priorities?

(Only includes those who responded “too little” n=621)

84%16%Yes, still agree wespend too little

No, think weshouldn't spendmore afterall

Important to Eliminate Health Disparities

Source: National Poll, 2006Charlton Research Company for Research!America

Studies show that certain health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and infant mortality happen more often among minorities or citizens with lower

incomes. How important do you feel it is to conduct medical or health research to understand and eliminate these differences?

8%

1%

91%Important

Not important

Don't know

Public Concerns About Research


What concerns, if any, do you have about medical and health research?

First mentions

No concerns/don’t know 36%

Wasting money 9

Government involvement 6

Profit driven 5

Not enough funding 5

Finding a cure for diseases 4

Research is needed 4

Finding a cure to cancer 3

Stem cells 3

It takes too long 3

Other 22

Very Important for U.S. to Educate and Train Researchers

Source: Your Candidates-Your Health Survey, 2006Charlton Research Company for Research!America

How important is it for the U.S. to educate and train individuals qualified to conduct medical, health and scientific research?

1%

37%

56%

6%Very

Somewhat

Not

Don't know

Americans Oppose Cuts to CDC Budget

Source: Your Candidates-Your Health Survey, 2006Charlton Research Company for Research!America

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is charged with protecting the health and safety of Americans. The President has proposed to cut the CDC’s

core programs by about 4% for the second year in a row. Do you support or oppose the President’s 2007 budget proposal that cuts funding for the CDC by

4%?

31%

63%

6%Oppose

Support

Don't know

Americans Want More Media Coverage of Science and Research

Source: Bridging the Sciences Survey, 2006Charlton Research Company for Research!America

Would you like to see more, less or about the same amount of information about science and research in the media?

23% 70%

5%2%

More

Same

Less

Don't know

• Policymakers respond to media

• Constituents learn from the media

• Media attention can create public pressure

Media Attention

PARADE/Research!America Poll “What Americans Think About Medical Research” March 21, 2004

“Elections have a way of sorting things out.”

The Honorable John Edward PorterResearch!America Chair

“Elections have a way of sorting things out.”

The Honorable John Edward PorterResearch!America Chair

Election Day is November 4!

Election Day is November 4!

The New York Times: The Words They Used

“If you listened to the speeches in Denver and St. Paul, you might have noticed a conspicuous absence—there was very little talk about science at the conventions. Maybe a passing mention of health care or global warming here and there in the speeches, but little or no talk of embryonic stem cell research or the funding for our research institutions like the National Institutes of Health.”—Ira Flatow, host of “Science Friday,” on the Sept. 5 broadcast “Health and the Election.”

“If you listened to the speeches in Denver and St. Paul, you might have noticed a conspicuous absence—there was very little talk about science at the conventions. Maybe a passing mention of health care or global warming here and there in the speeches, but little or no talk of embryonic stem cell research or the funding for our research institutions like the National Institutes of Health.”—Ira Flatow, host of “Science Friday,” on the Sept. 5 broadcast “Health and the Election.”

Guest:Mary

Woolley

“Increasing the focus on prevention and wellness is a critical part of my health care plan. Under my plan, we will realize tremendous savings within the health care system from, among other things, improvements in prevention and management of chronic conditions.”

“I believe that the CDC plays a critical role in our nation’s health care and national security infrastructure, and I will ensure the CDC has the resources it needs to fulfill its public health mission.”

– Sen. Barack Obama, in his response to the 2008 Your Candidates-Your Health voter education initiative.

“Increasing the focus on prevention and wellness is a critical part of my health care plan. Under my plan, we will realize tremendous savings within the health care system from, among other things, improvements in prevention and management of chronic conditions.”

“I believe that the CDC plays a critical role in our nation’s health care and national security infrastructure, and I will ensure the CDC has the resources it needs to fulfill its public health mission.”

– Sen. Barack Obama, in his response to the 2008 Your Candidates-Your Health voter education initiative.

“Focusing on prevention and wellness is an important aspect of my health care plan.”

“I strongly support funding for CDC. CDC plays an important role in not only promoting better health for Americans through better management of chronic care diseases and encouraging healthier lifestyle habits but also strengthens our homeland security by combating bioterrorism threats, pandemics and promoting emergency preparedness.”

– Sen. John McCain, in his response to the 2008 Your Candidates-Your Health voter education initiative.

“Focusing on prevention and wellness is an important aspect of my health care plan.”

“I strongly support funding for CDC. CDC plays an important role in not only promoting better health for Americans through better management of chronic care diseases and encouraging healthier lifestyle habits but also strengthens our homeland security by combating bioterrorism threats, pandemics and promoting emergency preparedness.”

– Sen. John McCain, in his response to the 2008 Your Candidates-Your Health voter education initiative.

Invitations are also being extended to all 2008 Congressional candidates after each state’s Congressional primary. More than 240 Congressional candidates have already responded.

Our Partners in Your Candidates-Your Health

www.researchamerica.org

www.yourcandidatesyourhealth.org

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