The U.S. Supreme Court 2022 Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health decision significantly altered the public policy landscape for abortion care, and created a critical need for objective and high-quality abortion policy evaluation research, according to Paula Lantz, James B. Hudak Professor of Health Policy at the Ford School of Public Policy. In a commentary written for the JAMA Network, Lantz identifies areas of opportunity to understand the impact of landmark policy changes.
Pointing to a new study by Stevenson and Root, whose analysis adjusts for COVID-19 pandemic-related deaths and debunks claims that the Dobbs decision has curbed maternal mortality rates, Lantz emphasizes the need to investigate other important research questions to assess the health and social effects of new abortion policies.
Drawing on prior research linking reduced access to abortion with increased risks of adverse maternal and infant health outcomes, Lantz anticipates that restricting abortion could heighten child poverty rates, amplify family financial instability, and strain already under-resourced social welfare systems. Additionally, there are looming concerns about such policies adversely influencing physician training and practice decisions, potentially exacerbating the shortage of obstetric care in certain states.
Lantz advocates for establishing an independent organization to guide a priority research agenda, research design, statistical approaches, and other methodology issues.
“There is a crucial need for investment in scientific discourse on how best to explore the ramifications of abortion-related public policies. An authoritative organization, such as the Department of Health and Human Services or the National Academy of Medicine, should convene an expert panel to produce a nonpartisan and nonideological consensus document guiding objective public policy evaluation research,” wrote Lantz.
Lantz’s commentary cautions against “armchair policy,” warning that drawing conclusions without solid evidence can potentially lead to harmful policy decisions.
>>Read “Conducting Research in the New Abortion Care Policy Landscape”
