A wonderfully informative piece by Michelle Mello (Harvard) and Kathryn Zeiler (Georgetown Law), Empirical Health Law Scholarship: The State of the Field, does just what it sets out to accomplish as it takes stock of the growing sub-field. From the abstract:
"... describing commonly used methods, analyzing enabling and inhibiting factors in the production and uptake of this type of research by policymakers, and suggesting ways to increase the production and impact of empirical health law studies. In some areas of inquiry, high-quality research has been conducted, and the findings have been successfully imported into policy debates and used to inform evidence-based lawmaking. In other areas, the level of rigor has been uneven, and the best evidence has not translated effectively into sound policy. Despite challenges and historical shortcomings, empirical health law studies can and should have a substantial impact on regulations designed to improve public safety, increase both access to and quality of health care, and foster technological innovation."
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