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.
COVID-19 update: Forum remains committed to supporting evidence- and values-informed policymaking about our health and social systems
In light of recent developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Forum team has transitioned to working from home. We are still fully operational and have put in place measures to be responsive to inquiries from new or existing partners about working on pandemic-related work while remaining fully engaged with our existing partners who are not directly involved in pandemic-related work.
Within this context, we continue to operate some of our core programs as usual and have made adjustments to others as needed:
- our McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (which we co-lead with four other McMaster partners) is turning its focus to highlighting ways for citizens to stay active and engaged while practicing physical distancing, which includes re-profiling weekly 'Hitting the Headlines’ articles or blog posts and creating new blog posts and evidence summaries that give actionable tips for older adults to help adjust to the new reality
- our monthly updates from Health Systems Evidence and from Social Systems Evidence will begin profiling systematic reviews and economic evaluations relevant to the pandemic while continuing to profile reviews and evaluations about strengthening health and social systems and getting the right programs, services and products to those who need them
- our Rapid Response program continues to accept requests for syntheses of evidence in three-, 10- or 30-, 60- or 90-business days
- our Citizen Panels program has adapted to an online format – with our first successful event held on March 18th – to ensure we can continue to systematically and transparently elicit citizens’ values to guide decision-making about our health and social systems (and we are making similar plans to adapt our Stakeholder Dialogues program to an online format)
- our Rapid-Improvement Support and Exchange (RISE) initiative (which we co-lead with the Institute for Better Health and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute) has postponed many of its scheduled events for Ontario Health Teams, including webinars, but RISE staff continue work behind-the-scenes and can be contacted at rise@mcmaster.ca
- when feasible and appropriate, our ‘Top Ten Webinar’ series will continue to engage key thinkers and doers to share their insights about priority issues
- our online training courses continue to be available to any individual or group interested in building skills to support evidence-informed policymaking about priority issues
Our team remains committed to supporting evidence- and values-informed policymaking about our health and social systems. We encourage you to contact us with questions about how we can help in the coming weeks and months.
For general inquiries please email: forum@mcmaster.ca. While we will be checking our voicemails periodically, an email is likely to elicit an even faster response.
- McMaster Forum
