LI Course
CE Hours: 3 contact hours

Partnership: Health Law; Health Administration

Statement of Purpose and Institute Overview: The purpose of this Institute is to equip public health practitioners, researchers, policy-makers, and attorneys with the skills needed to apply policy research to their practice, including translating and communicating research results. Specifically, this institute will cover research methods and results in public health law, systems, and services; their application to participants’ future research and practice; the newly developed research agenda for these fields; and research resources and funding opportunities. Policy research can identify which laws, ordinances, regulations, financing mechanisms, and structures advance community health and can ensure that these evidence-based policies are implemented at the national, state, and local levels. Research in public health law, systems and services are growing areas of study to address gaps in knowledge of “what works” at the policy level. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation established the national Public Health Law Research program in 2009 and the National Coordinating Center for Public Health Systems and Services Research in 2010 as ways to increase the evidence base for laws that improve health and to increase the use of evidence in policy making. Scott Burris, JD, director of the national Public Health Law Research program, and Cynthia D. Lamberth, MPH, CPH, project director of the National Coordinating Center for Public Health Systems and Services Research, will participate in panel presentations on the current state of the public health law and public health systems and services research. During the course of the Institute, participants will have an opportunity to discuss their own research or practice in the context of public health law and systems; identify and apply lessons learned from these fields to their own research or policy efforts; and describe how to effectively communicate and implement research findings. Small group discussion topics will be tailored to participants' practice settings, projects, and interests (according to results from a pre-workshop survey).

Session Objectives: 1. Identify research methods in the areas of public health law, systems, and services 2. Describe how these methods are useful to research or practice 3. Identify resources available to support research in public health law, systems, and services 4. Apply methods and examples to research or practice 5. Explain ways to translate and communicate results in the context of research or practice

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH) , Masters Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)