Requests for Proposals (RFP 013) Primary/Secondary Research on Public Disclosure of Potential and Theoretical Health Risks
Funding and General Information
- Deadline for applications: March 5, 2003
- Up to $1 million has been set aside in this competition for
the support of up to 8 projects
- Maximum funds per project: $300,000
- Funding is expected to begin late in 2003. Project final reports
must be submitted before October 31, 2005
- Projects must add to the existing body of literature on risk
communication
Scope of Competition
Objective
Health Canada is seeking to improve the way it communicates with
the public about potential and theoretical risks to health. In
the interests of public accountability, Health Canada needs to
understand when, how and under what circumstances Canadians want
disclosure of potential or theoretical risks to health, as well
as the type of information Canadians want to receive. This research
will contribute to policy development for public disclosure by
supporting the development of tools and methodologies that complement
Health Canada's Decision Making Framework (1)
and by addressing gaps in health policy and regulatory initiatives.
Background/Context
It is expected that public concerns vis-à-vis theoretical health risks
will increase in the next decade, given the growing demand for, and access
to, complementary and alternative health care, natural health products, biologics
and biotechnology products, etc. Potential or theoretical risks can come from
existing products available in Canada, from traditional (defined as approaches
to health that belong to the traditions of a country or culture and have been
handed down through generations) forms of health care, or from recent advances
in biotechnology that have the potential to present previously unknown risks.
Risks to health can be defined as factors that raise the likelihood
of adverse health outcomes (2). Health risk is
a measure of the harm to human health that results from being exposed
to hazards, together with the likelihood that harm will occur (1).
Risks to health can come from many sources, including the environment,
the food supply, and products available to improve health or alleviate
illness.
Risk communication is influenced by factors such as culture, individual
risk acceptance, perceived risk and benefit, and the risk taker's
ability to locate, understand and process the information available
about a given risk (risk literacy). Health Canada needs to understand
how these factors affect the way Canadians receive and comprehend
messages about potential and theoretical risks to health and potential
or theoretical health outcomes.
The most convincing argument in favour of disclosure is public
accountability (3). For example, in Britain, public
trust in public health officials in particular, and in scientific
evidence in general, has been undermined by the questionable timeliness
and adequacy of disclosure of the vCJD epidemic in that country
(4). Health Canada, as a regulator and policy
maker, must go beyond legal and scientific determinants to consider
public values, since threats to credibility and trust can result
from inaction or inappropriate action.
In addition to improvements in accountability mechanisms, this
research will point to ways that Health Canada can enable Canadians
to make informed and objective choices about their personal health
risk management.
Policy Research Questions
- How can potential or theoretical risks to health be defined?
In terms of policies and strategies for health risk management
by Health Canada, other agencies and the public, what sets potential
or theoretical risks apart from known or actual risks to health?
- When, how and under what circumstances do Canadians want information
about potential or theoretical risks to health? What do they
do with this information once it is received?
- Within individual decision making processes, how, and by what,
are the tradeoffs between potential or theoretical health risks
and benefits influenced? Are citizens' decisions about accepting
potential and theoretical risks different from their decisions
about accepting known risks? Within its Decision Making Framework,
how can Health Canada best determine citizens' acceptance of
potential or theoretical risks?
- What methods (both within and external to Health Canada) of
communicating with the public about potential and theoretical
risks to health are most effective? What factors interfere with
whether or not such risk messages are received and understood
by the public?
- What does the public see as the roles of Health Canada, provincial
health regulators, health professionals, the general public and
others in managing potential and theoretical risks to health?
What needs to be known about public disclosure to meet the requirements
of public accountability? Who has responsibility for disclosure?
What indicators will support the measurement and reporting of
accountability?
Policy Contact
Applicants must get in touch with the policy contact at least
once during the development of the proposal. The policy contact
is responsible for ongoing interaction with researchers on the
policy issues and context. Policy inquiries should be directed
to Tina Sheppard, Branch Risk Issues Management Division, Assistant
Deputy Minister's Office, Health Products and Food Branch, Health
Canada, (tel: 613-941-8144, e-mail: tina_sheppard@hc-sc.gc.ca).
How to Apply
Applicants are required to register in order to obtain an application
form and a registration number which must be quoted on the application
form. Inquiries regarding registration, eligibility/ineligibility,
administrative questions about timeframes and budgets, application
formatting and content, the review process, and terms and conditions
of the HPRP should be directed to Elizabeth Maddocks (tel: 613-954-8557,
email: elizabeth_maddocks@hc-sc.gc.ca). Deadline for applications
is March 5, 2003 (must be courier stamped March 4th for next day
delivery). Address for courier:
Elizabeth Maddocks (tel: 613-954-8557)
Health Canada
Room 1526B, Jeanne Mance Building, Tunney's Pasture
Postal Locator 1915A
Ottawa ON K1A 0K9
References
- Health Canada (2000) Decision Making Framework.
(http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/hcrisk_e.pdf).
- World Health Organization (2002) World Health
Report: Reducing Risks, Promoting Healthy Life (http://www.who.int/whr/2002/Overview_E.pdf)
- Singer, Peter (2002) "The Public's Right
to Know, or Not" in National Post, August 22, 2002, pp.
A23.
- Government of the United Kingdom (2001) The
Interim Response to the Report of the BSE Inquiry. (http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bse/general/inquiry.pdf)
- Covello, V. And P. Sandman (2001) "Risk Communication:
Evolution and Revolution," in Wolbarst A. (Ed.) Solutions
to an Environment in Peril. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University
Press, pp. 164-178. (http://archive.naccho.org/NACCHO-Annual2002/a-epa.pdf)
- Wiltshire, Colin E. (1997) "Managing Risk and Risk Acceptance" in
Optimum, the Journal for Public Sector Management, Vol. 27, No.
3, pp. 14-23. (http://www.wcglobal.com/IRM/Publications/A001ManagingRisk.PDF)
- Fischhoff, Baruch (1998) "Acceptable Risk: A Conceptual
Proposal" in Risk: Safety, Health and Environment, Vol.
5, pp. 1-18. (http://www.fplc.edu/RISK/vol5/winter/Fischhof.htm)
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