McMaster Health Forum | Our Roles

In addition to delivering our own programs, the Forum plays many roles in strengthening health systems. Through Forum+, we will likely take on new roles in strengthening social systems.

Internationally, we:

• are the designated World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre in Evidence-Informed Policy. In addition to supporting evidence-informed decision-making in WHO member states, in this role we support the implementation of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Policy on Research for Health and the WHO Strategy on Research for Health.
• have also contributed to many other international organizations, the most recent example of which is supporting the development of a knowledge-translation strategy for the Cochrane Collaboration.

Nationally, we play many roles:

• managing the knowledge translation enterprise for the Labarge Optimal Aging Initiative, which includes co-leading and providing the secretariat for the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal, through which we support citizens in making informed decisions about aging optimally, living well with their conditions, and making informed treatment choices;
• leading the Policy Liaison Office for the Michael G. DeGroote Cochrane Canada Centre at McMaster, through which we support health-system leaders in finding and using Cochrane systematic reviews;
• hosting the Queen Elizabeth Scholarships in Strengthening Health Systems, through which we are preparing the next generation of action-oriented leaders; and
• participating in the AGE-WELL National Centre for Excellence, through which we are conducting research and supporting the use of research evidence about optimal aging.

In our home province of Ontario, as just some of the examples of our work at a sub-national level, we also play many roles:

• leading the creation of the first edition and the regular updating of a book about how the Ontario health system works, which can be purchased through Amazon, can be downloaded in the form of single chapters, and will soon be available as both an eBook and a free online course
• co-leading one of the Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Unit (OSSU)-funded groups that conducts and supports the use of patient-oriented research; and
• leading the periodic offering of the OSSU-funded masterclass on the conduct and use of patient-oriented research, the outputs of which have been made freely available for use.

At McMaster, we work in partnership with the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact and with the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis.

Interested in staying in the loop about our work at the Forum and through our various roles? Join thousands of other health-system leaders by signing up to receive our monthly Forum Update e-newsletter.