McMaster Health Forum to host workshop on finding and using research evidence

Registration is now open for a five-day training workshop that will teach policymakers, stakeholders and researchers how to find and make use of research evidence in their work to reform, renew or strengthen health systems, and to get cost-effective programs, services and drugs to those who need them.

The winter session of the ‘Finding and Using Research Evidence to Inform Decision-making in Health Systems and Organizations’ workshop will be held from February 17-21 at McMaster University. Registration is open until January 31.

The training workshop offered by the McMaster Health Forum is a complement to the online version of the course, and is designed for those who wish to master the skills needed to find the most reliable research evidence and to use it to inform and influence decisions about how the various parts of a health system function.

The workshop will require participants to complete the online course before travelling to McMaster for five days of interactive workshops led by Forum Director John Lavis, who has conducted nearly 100 training workshops in more than 30 countries with health system policymakers, stakeholders and researchers, on a variety of topics. Lavis will be assisted by Kaelan Moat, Lead of Health Systems Evidence and Learning for the Forum.

The cost of the workshop (which includes the online course) is $2,480 (not including personal travel and accommodation expenses).

The finding and using research course was launched by the Forum early in 2014, and approximately 500 participants from a range of health system policy and stakeholder organizations (in addition to trainees interested in careers in health policy) have already completed the online course.

The workshop is now open for registration by individuals who wish to take it on their own. Download the registration form now.

The Forum is also interested in working with organizations whose staff could benefit from the online course alone, or in combination with the week-long training workshop. Organizations are invited to contact the Forum directly to discuss options, at hslearn@mcmaster.ca.

For more information on the McMaster Health Forum or its course offerings, visit www.healthsystemslearning.org.