The Value of Regulatory Science in Human Care Licensing

This article highlights the importance of regulatory science in human care licensing, emphasizing the work of the National Association for Regulatory Administration (NARA). It explores how evidence-based, strategic regulation can improve safety, quality, and efficiency across diverse care settings. NARA advocates for identifying the “right” rules through scientific methods rather than increasing or decreasing regulation arbitrarily. The paper introduces regulatory science as a growing field, outlines its ethical foundations, and presents NARA’s educational initiatives to support regulators. It calls for greater collaboration, research, and workforce development to advance regulatory science and improve outcomes for individuals in care.