WASHINGTON—August 11, 2009—As the health reform debate continues through the summer and the Congressional recess, Research!America urges Congress to make research part of the solution to improve our nation’s health care system.
New Research!America poll findings indicate that the American public supports the push by the White House and Congress to control health care costs and improve quality: 76% of Americans think health care costs can be lowered in the U.S. while improving the quality of care; in addition, 71% think research to improve health is part of the solution to our rising health care costs.
The new poll shows that Americans want research to guide the way to health reform, yet a majority are not well informed on the positions of their Senators and Representatives on health care issues or when it comes to their support of medical, health and scientific research. That is why Research!America recently re-launched Your Congress-Your Health, a questionnaire that asks all members of the 111th Congress their positions and priorities on health reform as well as health-related research.
“Americans want the President and Congress to turn science into solutions for health care,” said Mary Woolley, president of Research!America. “We need to put science to work to promote wellness, prevent disease and keep health care costs in check for the future of our economy. We can do this by ensuring that our health care is based on a foundation of research.”
She continued, “Americans support this approach: 72% think it is very important to include strategies to prevent disease and promote wellness in health reform, 54% believe that comparative effectiveness research will improve our health care system, and 73% think that accelerating our investment in research to improve health is a high priority, among all aspects of health reform.”
The 2009 Your Congress-Your Health questionnaire and more findings from the poll are now online at www.yourcongressyourhealth.org. Research!America is the nation’s largest not-for-profit public education and advocacy alliance working to make research to improve health a higher national priority. Founded in 1989, Research!America is supported by 500 member organizations that represent the voices of 125 million Americans. Visit www.researchamerica.org.
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