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.
Forum launches new training model to support stakeholders and policymakers
Last month, the Forum received a request from the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Europe to provide timely support to EVIPNet teams in Albania and Moldova, which are both currently in the midst of preparing evidence briefs for policy on health-system challenges in their countries. In response, the Forum developed a tailored course on finding and using research evidence to inform decision-making in health systems and organizations, which combined the Forum’s online training module on the topic with three two-hour interactive virtual-learning workshops designed to operationalize the concepts and further build the capacity of participants to effectively find and use the best available evidence to support policymaking.
“The webinar format is an excellent mix of, on the one hand being cost-effective and flexible in timing and location, and on the other hand, allowing for direct interaction and mentoring of participants, responding to context-specific queries, providing guidance, and comprehensively discussing issues that arise,” said Tanja Kuchenmüller, Unit leader, Knowledge Management, Evidence and Research for Policymaking in the Regional Office for Europe. “Members of EVIPNet Europe who have participated in the McMaster Health Forum’s webinar series have expressed great satisfaction with this support format, which has accelerated their progress in drafting their evidence brief.”
One of the participants from the Moldovan team highlighted how the interactive nature of the virtual-learning model helped to support their team as they worked through the development of their evidence brief, and that the knowledge they gained will help with the development of future evidence briefs. Another participant from Albania suggested that this course be delivered “to all researchers at the Institute of Public Health, University of Medicine, and other relevant institutions in Albania,” and that the customizable nature of this new training model makes it a cost-effective option for policymakers worldwide.
Given the success of this approach, we will be making it available to stakeholders everywhere, and we encourage colleagues across Canada to consider it as an alternate to in-person training for small groups of trainees.
For more information on this approach, please contact us at forum@mcmaster.ca or visit our site to learn more about our other training options.
- McMaster Forum
