AAMC Reporter: January 2005

AAMC Survey Reveals Knowledge Gaps

The fact that a significant proportion of the budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is used to fund research at the nation's medical schools and teaching hospitals is common knowledge in academic medicine circles.

But that fact is not well known outside the community, according to a recent AAMC survey. Results of the AAMC's 2004 Public and Congressional Staff Opinion Research Project revealed that 41 percent of congressional staff surveyed did not know how and where the NIH budget supports medical research. At the time the survey was conducted -- the summer of 2004 -- nearly half of the 150 congressional staff members who responded worked for a member of Congress who either has jurisdiction over healthcare issues or serves on a healthcare committee or subcommittee.

These results build on the opinion research conducted by the AAMC Office of Communications and the firm of Public Opinion Strategies since 1996, research that has provided important insights into new and persistent knowledge gaps about the roles and contributions of academic medicine to the nation's health.

The 2004 research project specifically aimed to assess the current knowledge and expectations of congressional staff and the public about medical research, funding support for teaching hospitals and the effectiveness of messages describing residents as learners.While the findings in each of these areas will guide AAMC communications efforts, the perceptions about medical research will undergird a major communications initiative to close some of the knowledge gaps that exist in Congress and among opinion leaders.

Unknown Quantities

In addition to a lack of knowledge about the partnership that exists among medical schools, teaching hospitals and the NIH, the survey also found that both the public and congressional staff view private companies as the major sites of medical research. Specifically, the survey found that 47 percent of public respondents and 35 percent of congressional staff believe that most medical research occurs in private laboratories. These findings contrast sharply with the 13 percent of congressional staff respondents who think that most medical research takes place at medical schools, and the 5 percent who credit teaching hospitals as being the major sites where medical research occurs.

Another important knowledge gap identified by the survey is low awareness of the NIH among the public. Four out of ten voters surveyed said they have never heard of the federal agency, and only 31 percent said they have a favorable opinion of the NIH. However, these perceptions were not found among congressional staffers, who reported high levels of awareness about the NIH and a 70 percent favorable opinion of the agency.

Despite voters' lack of awareness about the NIH, the survey found that the public has strong interest in news about medical research with 67 percent of those surveyed saying they follow news about medical innovations closely. At the same time, however, nearly half the respondents (48 percent) reported having heard "little or nothing" recently about a new medical discovery or innovation, and the percentage of voters who said that the "pace of medical research is going faster than ever before" declined slightly since 2002.

These findings underscore the continued need for medical schools and teaching hospitals to continue to inform Congress and the public about their research activities, according to William McInturff, partner and co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies.

Public Trust

Although the role of academic medicine in research appears to be underappreciated by congressional staff and the public, the good news is that Americans and congressional staff continue to hold medical schools and teaching hospitals in high esteem.

"This esteem has been consistent through the years we have been doing this research," McInturff said.

The survey also revealed that the public trusts the results of studies conducted by medical schools and teaching hospitals far more than they trust those conducted by private companies or even the federal government. According to McInturff, this finding indicates that the public perceives a difference between research results generated by private companies and those produced by scientists at medical schools and teaching hospitals. Most people are still unclear about important details, including the nature and the amount of work conducted at these institutions.

In response to these findings, the AAMC plans to educate policymakers about the role medical schools and teaching hospitals play in medical innovation and discovery and the vital partnership that exists among medical schools, teaching hospitals and the NIH through a new communications campaign, titled "Fulfilling the Promise." The two-year strategic communications project will include an educational initiative geared toward Capitol Hill and opinion leaders, a collaborative initiative targeting AAMC member institutions and a complementary initiative targeting allied organizations.

When it comes to the outlook for federal funding support, "the survey results paint the picture of what will likely be a very difficult climate in Congress, particularly in regard to federal budget negotiations," said Richard M. Knapp, Ph.D., AAMC's executive vice president.

Political Divide

Not surprisingly, partisan affiliation was a strong indicator of potential support for funding increases for teaching hospitals and the NIH.

"Republicans oppose increases in funding for teaching hospitals by 64 points while Democrats favor them by 44 points," McInturff said.

While the parties' ideological divide was not a surprise, the breadth of the numerical gap between Republican and Democrats was something he did not expect. The divide between the parties is not quite as wide when it comes to increasing funding for the NIH with a plurality (44 percent) of GOP staffers surveyed opposing a budget increase.

The survey also revealed that most people are unaware that teaching hospitals are not-for-profit institutions responsible for the healthcare of a large portion of the country's uninsured. However, McInturff said that this finding should not be construed as solely bad news.

"It's a compliment to these institutions," he said. "The connotations of the term 'not for profit' in the public's view do not quite match the image many prestigious teaching hospitals project. Since many of these institutions are large and well known, people assume that they must be profitable."

- by Suria Santana

Contact Us    © 1995-2008 AAMC    Terms and Conditions    Privacy Statement