Claire Harris

Dr. Claire Harris is the Director of the Centre for Clinical Effectiveness at Southern Health, the largest health service in Victoria. Following a career in clinical practice, Claire became a public health physician who is passionate about evidence-based practice.  She has extensive expertise in undertaking systematic reviews and developing, implementing and evaluating clinical guidelines.

Claire recently led a project to introduce a new rigorous, evidence-based technology and clinical practice program at Southern Health. The program won the Australian Council of Healthcare Standards Quality Improvement Award for Non-clinical Service Delivery (2009). She also led the development of a new Policy and Procedure Framework for Southern Health which is currently being implemented.

Claire was awarded one of the inaugural National Health and Medical Research Council – National Institute of Clinical Studies (NHMRC-NICS) Fellowships in evidence implementation. She is a clinical guidelines consultant for the NHMRC and is on expert panels in EBP for NHMRC and the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care. She is also an external adviser to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the U.K.

Claire is particularly interested in EBP education, capacity-building and evidence-based policy making. During her visit to the McMaster Health Forum, Claire advanced her work in exploring research frameworks and use of evidence in the policymaking context.