Overview
In addition to delivering our own programs, the Forum plays a key role in a number of networks, including:
- Rapid-Improvement Support and Exchange (RISE) for which the Forum serves as secretariat
- Evidence-Support Network for Canada (ESN-CA) for which the Forum serves as secretariat
- Evidence Synthesis Infrastructure Collaborative (ESIC) for which the Forum has been a contributor during the planning phase, hopes to contribute in an ongoing way going forward, and continues to contribute via Forum’s director who serves as chair of the Steering group and Communities council.
We outline the focus of these three networks in describing our current secretariat roles in the networks.
The Forum served as secretariat to two other key networks that have now wrapped up their work:
- Global Commission on Evidence to Address Societal Challenges [2021-25]
- COVID-19 Network to support Decision-making (COVID-END) [2020-22]
The websites for both these networks have now been archived. We outline the historical focus of these two networks in describing our past secretariat roles in the networks.
The Forum also plays a key role in maintaining three network-engaged inventories of pre-appraised evidence syntheses for use in decision-making:
- Health Systems Evidence, which covers all health-system arrangements and implementation strategies that determine whether the right programs, services and products get to those who need them
- Social Systems Evidence, which covers all social program areas beyond health, as well as related system arrangements and implementation strategies
- McMaster Optimal Aging Portal, which covers all aspects of optimal aging.
The Forum maintained a fourth network-engaged inventory that has now been archived:
- COVID-END inventory, which covered all aspects of COVID-19 related clinical management, public- health measures, health-system arrangements, and economic and social responses.