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METHODS article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health Policy
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1522213

Catalysing change in health and medical research policy: an Australian case study of deliberative democracy to reform sex and gender policy recommendations

Provisionally accepted
Sue Haupt Sue Haupt 1*Cheryl Carcel Cheryl Carcel 2Lily Halliday Lily Halliday 3Saraid Billiards Saraid Billiards 4Lyn Carson Lyn Carson 5Kyle Redman Kyle Redman 5Scott Lappan-Newton Scott Lappan-Newton 6Karin Renee Aubrey Karin Renee Aubrey 7Xander Bickendorf Xander Bickendorf 8Jane Elizabeth Bourke Jane Elizabeth Bourke 9Michael Buchert Michael Buchert 10Jessica Da Gama Duarte Jessica Da Gama Duarte 10Ayan Dasvarma Ayan Dasvarma 9Thomas FE Drake-Brockman Thomas FE Drake-Brockman 11Kerryn Drysdale Kerryn Drysdale 12Stephen CC Dymock Stephen CC Dymock 8Laura N Eadie Laura N Eadie 13,14Melanie Eckersley-Maslin Melanie Eckersley-Maslin 15,16,17Moritz Falk Eissmann Moritz Falk Eissmann 10James Fazio James Fazio 8Bridget G Haire Bridget G Haire 18Melinda Holder Melinda Holder 19Nicole Kleppe Nicole Kleppe 20Ken Knight Ken Knight 20Jonathan Mauclair Jonathan Mauclair 21Celine Northcott Celine Northcott 22Brian Gregory George Oliver Brian Gregory George Oliver 23Tracy A O'Mara Tracy A O'Mara 24Ken Pang Ken Pang 20Steven Philpot Steven Philpot 18,25Tertia Purves-Tyson Tertia Purves-Tyson 26,27Jacob Stewart-Olsen Jacob Stewart-Olsen 8Lauren Ursich Lauren Ursich 28Natalia Vukelic Natalia Vukelic 10Marina Yakou Marina Yakou 10Bronwyn Graham Bronwyn Graham 1,29Severine Lamon Severine Lamon 30Rachel Huxley Rachel Huxley 30Kelly Thompson Kelly Thompson 31Keziah Bennett-Brook Keziah Bennett-Brook 32Christine Jenkins Christine Jenkins 33Zoe Wainer Zoe Wainer 34,35Mark Woodward Mark Woodward 36,37Louise Chappell Louise Chappell 3Robyn Norton Robyn Norton 1,37
  • 1 The George Institute for Global Health, Women’s Health Program, Centre for Sex and Gender Equity in Health and Medicine, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Sydney, Australia
  • 2 The George Institute for Global Health, Brain Health Program, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Sydney, Australia
  • 3 Australian Human Rights Institute, Faculty of Law & Justice, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • 4 Association of Australian Medical Research Institute,, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • 5 The newDemocracy Foundation, Australia, Sydney, Australia
  • 6 Gauge Consulting, Otford, NSW, Australia, Otford, Australia
  • 7 Pain Management Research Laboratories, Kolling Institute; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia, Sydney, Australia
  • 8 Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
  • 9 Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
  • 10 Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, La Trobe University School of Cancer Medicine, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia, Melbourne, Australia
  • 11 Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands WA, Australia, Nedlands, Australia
  • 12 Centre for Social Research in Health, University of NSW, Kensington, NSW, Australia., Sydney, Australia
  • 13 Precision Cancer Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia, Adelaide, Australia
  • 14 Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  • 15 Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • 16 Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, Melbourne, Australia
  • 17 Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia, Melbourne, Australia
  • 18 Kirby Institute, University of NSW, NSW, Australia, Sydney, Australia
  • 19 Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, WA, Australia, Westmead, Australia
  • 20 Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • 21 Monash University, Clayton Campus, AU, Clayton, Australia
  • 22 South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  • 23 The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Macquarie University; University of Technology Sydney, NSW, Australia, Sydney, Australia
  • 24 QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
  • 25 Nousgroup, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, Melbourne, Australia
  • 26 Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • 27 Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Sydney, Australia
  • 28 The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia, Melbourne, Australia
  • 29 School of Psychology, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Sydney, Australia
  • 30 Faculty of Health, Deakin Univeristy, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
  • 31 Nepean and Blue Mountains Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Sydney, Australia
  • 32 The George Institute for Global Health, Guunu-maana (Heal) Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Sydney, Australia
  • 33 The George Institute for Global Health, Respiratory Program, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Sydney, Australia
  • 34 Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
  • 35 The Victorian Department of Health, Public Health Division, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, Melbourne, Australia
  • 36 The George Institute for Global Health, Senior Professorial Unit, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Sydney, Australia
  • 37 The George Institute for Global Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom, London, United Kingdom

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Revising public health policy based on new data doesn't happen automatically. This is acutely relevant to the now undeniable evidence that many diseases develop differently between the sexes and may also be affected by gender. Current health and medical practices across the globe generally fail to cater for sex and gender effects in common diseases. Inadequate policy frameworks to guide the comprehensive inclusion of sex and gender in research jeopardises scientific rigour and ultimately the practices they underpin. To ensure that Australian health and medical research is fit-for-purpose, we realised that potent initiatives would be necessary to expedite strategic reframing of thought and behaviour. Here we report on our innovative engagement of end-users for democratic self-determined policy reform to guide health and medical research, based on robust data. We draw upon our specific study to outline seven key steps that can be adopted to accelerate effective change, across a breadth of evidence-based initiatives to reform health policies.

    Keywords: public health and medical research policy, academic and translation research, Innovative methodology, Evidence-based change, democratic policy reform, Sex-gender

    Received: 04 Nov 2024; Accepted: 24 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Haupt, Carcel, Halliday, Billiards, Carson, Redman, Lappan-Newton, Aubrey, Bickendorf, Bourke, Buchert, Da Gama Duarte, Dasvarma, Drake-Brockman, Drysdale, Dymock, Eadie, Eckersley-Maslin, Eissmann, Fazio, Haire, Holder, Kleppe, Knight, Mauclair, Northcott, Oliver, O'Mara, Pang, Philpot, Purves-Tyson, Stewart-Olsen, Ursich, Vukelic, Yakou, Graham, Lamon, Huxley, Thompson, Bennett-Brook, Jenkins, Wainer, Woodward, Chappell and Norton. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Sue Haupt, The George Institute for Global Health, Women’s Health Program, Centre for Sex and Gender Equity in Health and Medicine, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Sydney, Australia

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