Want to better understand how the health and social systems work and how you can better advocate for changes that would improve these systems for you and your family? Enhance your knowledge with one of our free courses for citizens:
Finding and using research evidence: A guide for citizens
In this free online course, you’ll be provided with solutions to overcome the most commonly cited frustrations people have when trying to access research evidence. Prepared by the McMaster Health Forum with support from the Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Unit, the course is now available online as a set of eight videos:
Here are helpful resources that are drawn on in the course:
- Definitions for word and phrases used in the modules
- How to make sure health information is trustworthy
- Links to online sources mentioned in the modules
Don’t miss the most important resource for citizen-targeted evidence about healthy aging:
Understanding how to navigate the health system
Knowing how your health system works will better you to navigate the system, identify opportunities to make things better, and advocate for changes that you’d like to see. This free online course describes the 'building blocks' of Ontario’s health system as well as how those building blocks are used to provide care in the province in different ways (e.g., by sector, condition, treatment, population). While Ontario is the example, these principles are useful to understanding health systems other jurisdictions in Canada and internationally.
Prepared by the McMaster Health Forum with support from the Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Unit, the course is now available online as a set of six videos:
Here are helpful resources that are drawn on in the course:
- Free download of chapters from Ontario’s Health System: Key Insights for Engaged Citizens, Professional and Policymakers. The Ontario book is also helpful in understanding other health systems
Don’t miss the most important resource for citizen-targeted evidence about healthy aging:
Masterclass on patient-oriented research
The Forum’s masterclass was designed to prepare future champions for the conduct and use of patient-oriented research and future mentors to others becoming involved in the conduct and use of patient-oriented research. While we are not currently planning any sessions for the masterclass on patient-oriented research, you can access all of the course material to learn more about patient-oriented research.
2018 in review - McMaster Health Forum | Forum+
The new year is off to a busy start, but we wanted to take a moment to look back on some of the many highlights from 2018. During the past year, the Forum:
- launched PERLSS, a new partnership among the Forum and its partners in 13 countries, which aims to support policymakers in their efforts to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and which is supported by a $1.99 million grant, equally funded by the Hewlett Foundation and Canada’s International Development Research Centre
- added more than 2,000 documents to the newly-launched Social Systems Evidence, a free online repository of pre-appraised, synthesized research evidence for social-system policymakers and stakeholders
- expanded our international reach through a number of new partnerships, including with the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (focused on expanding the scope of Social Systems Evidence to cover all of the Sustainable Development Goals), as well as the Caribbean Centre for Health Systems Research and Development and Lanzhou University’s Evidence-Based Medicine Center
The Forum also helped policymakers, stakeholders, citizens, students and researchers to:
- learn how to make more evidence-informed decisions or how to support others in doing so by having:
- trained more than 1,300 policymakers, stakeholders, researchers and students through our Learn how program, which offers both online and face-to-face learning opportunities
- hosted ten webinars in our ’Top Ten’ series, featuring insights into health and social systems, evidence-informed policymaking, and a range of key health and social issues
- expanded the reach of our Queen Elizabeth Scholars from a focus on health systems to now include both health and social systems, and supported the first three of our scholars in this new program
- engaged five Queen Elizabeth Scholars in Strengthening Health Systems to reach a total of 60 scholars supported since 2015 and create lasting impacts on health systems both at home and abroad
- find evidence about pressing issues by having:
- provided advanced features to the over 13,000 registered users for Health System Evidence - the world’s most comprehensive source of synthesized research evidence about how to strengthen health systems and get the right programs, services and drugs to those who need them
- responded, through our Rapid Response program, to 21 time-sensitive requests from policymakers and stakeholders for evidence about health- and social-system issues
- continued to add new content to the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (and the French-language Portail sur le vieillissement optimal de McMaster) and expanded its focus to include the social aspects of aging (such as civic engagement, consumer protection, and transportation)
- spark action by having convened six citizen panels and five stakeholder dialogues on pressing health and social challenges, such as rapid-learning health systems, transitions from cancer treatment to primary- and community-supports, and addressing gambling-related harms
We continued to engage with a diverse array of individuals and organizations, reaching more than 3,700 followers through @McMasterForum on Twitter and expanded our engagement with supporting handles focused on health and social systems (@forumHSS handled by John Lavis), low- and middle-income country health systems (@forumLMIC handled by Kaelan Moat) and Canadian health systems (@forumCDNhealth handled by Francois-Pierre Gauvin).
Thank you to all our partners and supporters for making 2018 such a success. We look forward to building on these accomplishments in 2019!
- McMaster Forum
