The Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI) initiated a deliberative panel of industry staff and researchers to develop a policy framework that better enables the use of sex and gender in health practices and research.
Problems and Purpose
In an attempt to plug significant evidence gaps in medical research and treatment pertaining to differences in sex and gender, the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI) convened a deliberative panel to develop a policy framework for how best to incorporate it into health and medical research. This follows global moves to do so in the medical field. [1]
Participants were asked to deliberate and respond to the question "what should AAMRI do to support the improved use of sex and gender in research practices and decision-making?" [2]
Background History and Context
For a long time, medical research and treatments have aimed to be neutral in regards to sex and gender. This, however, can limit evidence and treatment, as well as increase risk in medical care. [3]
The AAMRI overseas more than 50 medical research institutes around Australia and through this initiative seeks to develop an encompassing policy regarding sex and gender in medical research and treatment. [4]
Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities
The initiative was commissioned by the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI) and a research project on Sex and Gender Health Policy by the Australian Human Rights Institute at UNSW Sydney and the George Institute for Global Health. [5]
newDemocracy Foundation and Gauge Consulting were responsible for convening the process.
Participant Recruitment and Selection
30 participants were recruited through random stratified sampling. These participants were staff at medical research institutes across Australia. Directors and CEOs from these institutes nominated up to 10 staff to take part in the deliberative panel, from which the final number of participants were sampled. [6]
Methods and Tools Used
What Went On: Process, Interaction, and Participation
The deliberative panel took place over five weeks, with participants meeting three times for six hours at a time. Two of these meetings were in-person and one was online. [7]
Participants were given an information pack outlining the project the deliberation was a part of and some key information about the issue. Participants were also encouraged to do some research into the issue before the start. During the meetings, there were expert presentations along with presentations from people with lived experience and advocates. Participants were asked to consider the information from a range of sources, including alternate perspectives, and provide recommendations for a policy framework. Recommendations were presented on the last day. [8]
Influence, Outcomes, and Effects
Four recommendations were made, and AAMRI committed to implementing all four with adjustments as needed. [9]
Analysis and Lessons Learned
As participation recruitment involved directors and CEOs of medical research institutes nominating up to 10 people to take part, there was the challenge that not all institutes nominated people while others nominated the maximum amount resulting in underrepresentation of some institutes. This did not obviously impact deliberations, as participants deliberated from the perspective of the broader industry they were a part of. Due to the small pool from which to draw from, it was a challenge to obtain a diverse group for the deliberation, particularly when approaching the issue (most were analytical). [10]
The time frame for deliberations was quite tight, but this was not an issue because of the selective participants involved who would have already had some knowledge about the issue being deliberated. [11]
See Also
References
[1] newDemocracy (n.d.) Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes Deliberative Panel. https://www.newdemocracy.com.au/2023/07/12/association-of-australian-medical-research-institutes-deliberative-panel/
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Redman, K. (2023) Learnings from the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes Deliberative Panel. https://www.newdemocracy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/RD-Note-Learnings-from-AAMRI-Panel.pdf
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] AAMRI (2023) What should AAMRI do to support improved use of sex and gender in research practices and decision making - a deliberative panel approach (response to recommendations). https://aamri.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/AAMRIs-Sex-and-Gender-Policy-Recommendations-for-Health-and-Medical-Research.pdf
[9] Ibid.
[10] Redman, K. (2023) Learnings from the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes Deliberative Panel. https://www.newdemocracy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/RD-Note-Learnings-from-AAMRI-Panel.pdf
[11] Ibid.