Biostatistics Seminar Series, October 25, 2023

The ASA vision imagines a world that relies on data and statistical thinking to drive discovery and inform decisions.  Policy makers and stakeholders are responsible for establishing regulations, formulating a plan, and setting a course of action in important arenas such as reducing drug overdose mortality, improving nutrition and health, increasing school attendance rates, ensuring equitable application of regulations, supporting essential technology development.  The gold standard for public policy is evidence-based decision making—deliberate and strategic application of real facts and research-supported principles that yields objective evidence.

Statistical science is the foundation for evidence-based decision making.  As an interdisciplinary science, it has applications to every field imaginable, making statisticians uniquely qualified to lend their expertise in multiple policy domains.  Effectively informing policy requires becoming involved early in the design phase; understanding the nature of the issue; and knowing how to communicate, educate, and explain.  In this talk, I will provide an example or two from health policy to highlight both valuable contributions made by statistical scientists and lessons learned. Extrapolating from these successes, I will suggest areas for future contributions in which the stakes are very high and involving statistics will be essential for crafting effective policy approaches. If time permits, I will highlight the ASA’s role, major initiatives and contributions to public policy making.