Preparing public health researchers to interact with state-level legislators: evaluation of the Texas Research-to-Policy Collaboration project training.

Abstract

To implement evidence-based health policy, public health researchers need to be equipped with the necessary skills or knowledge to engage with policymakers effectively. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of the Texas Research-to-Policy Collaboration (TX RPC) training on public health professionals and to compare the effectiveness of different training delivery modes (in-person or web-based). In the study, 59 researchers received training to increase their capacity for interacting with legislators and completed pre- and post-training surveys assessing three scales: self-efficacy, knowledge, and training needs. To determine researchers' pre- and post-training changes, we applied paired t tests. Two-sample t tests were used to compare the differences in outcomes between the two training modes. Researchers showed significant improvement in reported policy and knowledge of the legislative process and reported reduced perceived training needs for both delivery modes. The TX RPC training prepared researchers for interacting with legislators by increasing their policy-related self-efficacy and knowledge.