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.
Register your team to learn about new approaches to support rapid learning and improvement
The application window for teams interested in the next offering of our virtual training series on Evidence Products and Processes that Support Rapid Learning and Improvement is now open! This 12-session masterclass offering, starting 12 April 2023, will highlight new approaches and build the capacity of participating teams to:
- prepare fit-for-purpose evidence products
- engage in the key complementary processes that help to facilitate the preparation of evidence products and increase the likelihood that they’ll have an impact
>> Register your team now for this session
Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted and teams are encouraged to apply early as space is limited. The deadline for applications is Friday 24 March 2023.
Who should apply to be involved in this training series?
If you are interested in working as a team to develop innovative evidence products and use innovative processes to drive changes in a health system, please complete
the simple online application process. In brief, you will need to identify a team of three to five individuals, consisting of one to two researchers, one to two citizen (or patient) partners, and one decision-maker partner (ideal, but not mandatory).
We particularly welcome teams that strive for gender diversity and that include racialized and Indigenous individuals.
By the first session on 29 September, your team will need to have provisionally identified a real-world health-system challenge or goal that you want to collectively address and that you will work together to address through the masterclass.
When is the third offering of the masterclass?
The third offering of the masterclass will run every Wednesday, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. from 12 April 2023 to 28 June. Each session will be held virtually
using MS Teams.
What is the focus of the masterclass?
The masterclass will focus on two areas:
- preparing fit-for-purpose evidence products (and in developing the five skill sets required to prepare these products)
- engaging in the key complementary processes that help to facilitate the preparation of evidence products and increase the likelihood that they’ll have an impact
The course aims to bring together teams of prospective applicants – not individuals – and will help them build the capacity to prepare products and engage in the key complementary processes that support rapid learning and improvement in an ongoing way. The course aims to support teams that are well positioned to institutionalize the knowledge and skills that are essential to creating rapid-learning health systems. Participants will bring to the course a real-world issue with which their team is currently grappling and engage in the sessions with the ultimate goal of influencing someone in a decision-making position who can help to create and sustain a learning health system in Ontario. This will be achieved by pulling together compelling evidence (in the form of an evidence product), designing an approach to support its use (using a stakeholder-engagement process) and developing a clearer understanding of who else in the evidence-support system would likely need to be engaged to influence change.
How to apply:
Complete the online registration form.
Who runs the masterclass?
In collaboration with the Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Unit the masterclass has been designed and will be offered by John Lavis and his colleagues at the McMaster Health Forum. Since April 2019, they
have been supporting – in partnership with Trillium Health Partners – rapid learning and improvement among Ontario Health Teams through Rapid-Improvement Support and Exchange (RISE). Since April 2020, they have been developing innovative
evidence products and processes to respond to COVID-19 through the COVID-19 Evidence Network to support Decision-making (COVID-END). Since April 2021, they have been documenting innovations and identifying priorities for improvement in how we use
evidence to address societal challenges through their role as the secretariat for the Global Commission on Evidence to Address Societal Challenges.
Are there other offerings?
Offering 4 will take place in the weeks starting 25 September to 11 December 2023 (every Wednesday from 12-1 pm). The application window for
this offering will open three months in advance, but we encourage you to hold the dates if you are very interested in a particular offering.
- McMaster Forum
