Towards evidence-based health policy

For those of a scientific bent, the issue would seem straightforward enough. You conduct research, come to a conclusion on the results of that research, and frame your policy and subsequent actions accordingly. But that simplified view of the world doesn’t often hold up. Interpretations of particular data by knowledgeable, rational people may differ widely, the data themselves may directly conflict, and the sum total of information may be incomplete and inadequate for generating good policy.