In 2018, IDEA created and moderated over 60 online forums in which groups of up to 12 Ohioans discussed a set of policy proposals designed to address the opioid epidemic. There was at least one person from more than 95% of Ohio counties that completed both surveys and participated in an online discussion. The policy actions participants discussed were based on a national issue guide compiled by the Kettering Foundation, which was then tailored to Ohio based on consultation with relevant experts and stakeholders, including: public health scholars, law enforcement, health professionals, and legislative staff. Before and after each forum, participants completed surveys measuring their factual knowledge on the opioid crisis, political partisanship, and support for each policy proposal. Using these surveys allowed us to compare participants’ knowledge and views on the epidemic before and after they discussed this issue with other citizens. Some of the findings are surprising, particularly to people working on local policymaking regarding public and community health. Read the full report.
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