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.
Supporting the use of evidence – new partnership between McMaster and the Caribbean Centre for Health Systems Research and Development
The McMaster Health Forum is pleased to announce a formal collaboration with the Caribbean Centre for Health Systems Research and Development (CCHSRD) at the University of the West Indies’ Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobago. This agreement builds on a long-standing partnership we’ve developed with Donald Simeon and Andrea Yearwood, two former staff of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), who now play key roles in the CCHSRD.
“This is a great opportunity for us to continue building our networks in the Caribbean and promoting evidence-informed health- and social-systems,” said John Lavis, Director of the McMaster Health Forum. “We look forward to this opportunity to learn from each other and to build capacity to better support the use of evidence in policymaking.” John will continue to serve on CCHSRD’s Advisory Board, which he was appointed to in the fall.
The collaboration will take many forms, including:
- sharing and promoting materials and resources of mutual interest
- developing research proposals and projects and exchanging relevant scientific information
- participating in webinars and other knowledge-translation initiatives;
- exploring the development of university-based educational programs and community-based training programs
- facilitating the exchange of faculty members, research staff, and students for research, teaching, and professional training
“We are excited to formalize our collaboration with McMaster University,” said Donald Simeon, Director of CCHSRD, “and look forward to building on our past work to enhance the capacity and stimulate opportunities to support the use of evidence in policymaking in the Caribbean.”
The Caribbean Centre for Health Systems Research and Development of the Faculty of Medical Science of The UWI has a pivotal role to generate and facilitate the use of research evidence in order to strengthen health systems and policymaking processes. The Centre has a mandate to conduct health systems, health services and health policy research, responsive to the needs of the decision-makers and health-system leaders; assist policymakers and health-system leaders to utilise the best available research evidence in health policy and health system decision-making, by providing them with a suite of user-friendly products and services; assist decision-makers and health-system leaders to engage with communities as partners in health, by convening forums and dialogues with citizens to deliberate on current health system problems and to identify evidence-based solutions to address contemporary health issues; and to build the competencies of health-system managers, policymakers and other health professionals. The work of the Centre is facilitated through inter-disciplinary and multi-sectoral collaboration, priority setting, and embedded research.
- McMaster Forum
