What Do Australians Think About Health & Medical Research? 2012 Opinion Poll

Research Australia’s 2012 public opinion poll examined the importance Australians place on health and medical research, perceptions of who funds it and who should, willingness to participate in clinical trials, and patterns of charitable giving. JWS Research conducted the survey online by email invitation to a national panel between 19 and 28 June 2012, with a representative sample of n=1,052 adults; the maximum margin of error was +/-3.0% at the 95% confidence level. Results were compared with Research Australia polling back to 2004. Improving hospitals and the health care system remained the top Federal Government priority (94% rating it 7 or more out of 10), while more funding for health and medical research was rated 7 or more by 82%, the 9th of 26 issues. Respondents regarded funding as primarily a Commonwealth responsibility, and 21% could not say how research is currently funded. Willingness to join clinical trials was unchanged since 2004, but the undecided group had grown. Most respondents (78%) donated to charity at least annually and 48% donated to health and medical research. Some 40% would be more likely to donate to a large government-supported fund, with government matching of donations the most influential incentive. Just over half (55%) supported donated funds being used for international collaboration and research in developing countries; 12% opposed it.