Forum Fellows plan to gain new insights into addressing global health challenges

May 23, 2013 - Two students with a keen interest in learning how to bring about positive and sustainable change in health and social domains at the global level have been named as the McMaster Health Forum Fellows for 2013-14.

Zain Rizvi and Cheryl Young, who both have experience working in low-income countries, as well as assisting with university-based research projects, will each receive $4,000 and have the opportunity to work on various Forum initiatives, interact with provincial, national and international health system stakeholders, and gain insights on how to creatively address health-related challenges, throughout the next academic year.

Webinars will offer hands-on experience with resource that provides evidence on healthcare renewal

May 23, 2013 - Health systems policymakers, stakeholders and researchers, along with students and journalists, can learn more about a “one-stop-shopping” resource to access evidence on healthcare renewal in Canada during two webinars on June 12.

The one-hour webinars – one in English and one in French - will provide information about and helpful tips on how to use the Evidence-Informed Healthcare Renewal (EIHR) Portal, which contains 24 types of documents related to healthcare renewal in Canada, including situation analyses, jurisdictional reviews, and health system data on priority areas identified by federal, provincial and territorial governments.

The webinars are designed to show those working within, studying or writing about the Canadian health system how the EIHR Portal can be a valuable tool in their jobs. The first webinar from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. will be in English, and the second from 2 to 3 p.m. will be in French.

The webinars have been organized by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the McMaster Health Forum, and are open to anyone interested in learning more about the portal. The webinars will be conducted by John Lavis, director of the McMaster Health Forum, and François-Pierre Gauvin, the Forum’s lead of evidence synthesis and Francophone outreach.

The EIHR Portal is an initiative of the Evidence-Informed Healthcare Renewal Roundtable, through a collaboration between the Forum and CIHR. The portal is integrated with Health Systems Evidence, to provide a single point of access to the ever-growing body of evidence related directly and indirectly to healthcare renewal.

The webinars will help participants learn to use the portal efficiently in order to quickly find the type of information that can help them in their roles. Participants will gain hands-on experience in using the portal on its own, plus in conjunction with the many additional resources contained in Health Systems Evidence, the world’s most comprehensive, free access point for evidence to support policymakers, stakeholders and researchers interested in how to strengthen or reform health systems or in how to get cost-effective programs, services and drugs to those who need them.

To register for the webinar in English, click here. To register for the webinar in French, click here.

Registration is free, but spots are limited.

EVIPNet efforts to improve policymaking subject of video at WHA session

May 22, 2013 - A video in which McMaster Health Forum Director John Lavis explains various efforts that support evidence-informed policymaking in World Health Organization Member States will be screened during a session at the 66^th World Health Assembly on May 23.

In the video, Lavis discusses how Evidence-informed Policy Networks (EVIPNet) in several African countries have prepared evidence briefs for policy, convened deliberative dialogues, developed rapid response units that provide relevant research on specific health challenges, and designed clearinghouses that offer in one place all research relevant to a given health system, as they work towards better informed policymaking.

WHO documents added to new HSE portal support health system strengthening

April 25, 2013 - Health Systems Evidence has expanded its role as a top resource for evidence on strengthening and reforming health systems by adding a beta version of a new portal for World Health Organization documents, and improving the site’s navigation and search functions.

The Intergovernmental Organizations’ Health Systems Documents Portal currently includes a continuously updated repository of policy-relevant WHO documents, and provides ‘one-stop-shopping’ for the many types of documents that can support health systems strengthening by policymakers and stakeholders around the world.

Knowledge transfer key component of health system research program

April 15, 2013 - McMaster Health Forum Director John Lavis and Assistant Director Mike Wilson will play key roles in a $4.9-million research program focused on harnessing evidence and public values in efforts to improve Ontario’s health system.

Lavis, along with Jeremiah Hurley, chair of McMaster’s Department of Economics, is co-lead on the three-year research program funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care through its new Health System Research Fund. The proposal for the Harnessing Evidence and Values for Health Systems Excellence program was a joint submission by the Forum and researchers affiliated with the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (CHEPA).

Registration now open for international gathering of health and policy experts

April 11, 2013 - The Cochrane Collaboration, an international, high profile health research organization dedicated to helping providers, policymakers and patients make well-informed decisions about healthcare, is holding its 21^st annual colloquium in Canada.

Registration is now open for the event being hosted by the Canadian Cochrane Centre and Université Laval, to be held in Quebec City Sept. 19-23. The annual colloquium features health and policy experts from around the world addressing more than 1,000 delegates in plenary sessions, workshops and more than 100 oral presentations. The theme this year is Better Knowledge for Better Health.

Knowledge synthesis examines challenges of caring for patients with multiple health problems

April 10, 2013 - The challenges related to caring for patients who have multiple chronic health conditions is the focus of the first knowledge synthesis published by the McMaster Health Forum.

Identifying Optimal Treatment Approaches for People with Multimorbidity in Ontario summarizes the best available global, national and provincial research evidence about issues related to living with multiple chronic health problems, and the delivery of healthcare to this population. The synthesis is designed to support the actions of those involved with addressing the challenges associated with providing care for people with multimorbidity.

Discussion to focus on move towards taking a more active role in your healthcare

March 11, 2013 - Gone are the days when someone walked into a doctor’s office, quickly explained their symptoms, then let the physician make all the decisions about treatment.

With the growing access to medical and healthcare information, and a push by provincial health authorities to ensure delivery of care is ‘patient-centred’, individuals are taking on a greater role when they seek medical attention.

Public health role in controlling infectious disease outbreaks focus of panel discussion

March 6, 2013 - Common viral infections such as a cold or the flu are something we all have to deal with in everyday life, and most of the time are not cause for alarm. However, some viral infections, such as HIV and particular strains of influenza, can become extremely dangerous or even fatal.

With our increasingly mobile society, the risk of outbreaks of infectious diseases that can create global health threats, such as happened with SARS and H1N1, has led to an increased emphasis on public health policy as it relates to controlling pandemics.

Research paper tackles misconceptions related to systematic reviews

March 5, 2012 - Common misconceptions that create barriers to the use of systematic reviews in health systems policymaking are rebutted in a recently-published research paper that draws mainly on evidence from Health Systems Evidence, a continuously updated repository of syntheses of health systems research.

While systematic reviews are increasingly being viewed as important sources of information for policymakers who often face time constraints when making decisions about different aspects of health systems, there are still numerous ‘myths’ that stand in the way of greater use of this type of research, which seeks to systematically and transparently identify, select, appraise and synthesize the findings from all available research studies related to a clearly define question.

Workshop will focus on how to effectively use evidence to inform health system policy

March 2, 2013 - McMaster University students can discover what’s involved in assessing quality in health systems evidence and what an evidence-informed approach to policymaking entails at an interactive workshop on Monday, March 18, organized by the McMaster Health Forum Student Subcommittee.

Strengthening Health Systems in Canada and in Low- and Middle-income Countries: A Workshop on Evidence-informed Policymaking, will allow participants to work with a health systems topic of their choosing, to explore how to find the best available research evidence, and learn how decisions are made to improve the performance of health systems.

Forum works with PHAC to disseminate evidence, insights from stakeholder dialogue

February 15, 2013 - The key findings and insights that emerged from the McMaster Health Forum’s national stakeholder dialogue on promoting healthy weights will be the focus of a public webinar on Feb. 27.

Organized by the Forum in collaboration with and with funding support from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the webinar will take place from 1 to 2:30 p.m., and is open to anyone interested in learning more about promoting healthy weights and preventing obesity, which is among the biggest public health challenges facing Canadian society.

Workshop will teach students a novel way to gain insights about healthy aging

February 13, 2013 - A workshop that fuses art and science to help students learn how their lifestyles today will affect them in their later adult years is being organized by the Student Subcommittee of the McMaster Health Forum.

Under the Lens: Healthy Student Living is the subject of the two-part session that will use photography as a means for participants to illustrate their habits today and the consequences they will have many years down the road.

The sessions take place on Tuesday, February 26 and Tuesday, March 5, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and are open to all McMaster students. Pre-registration is required.

Forum offers valuable experiences to students through annual fellowships

February 13, 2013 – Applications are now being accepted for the 2013-2014 McMaster Health Forum Fellowships that offer an exceptional opportunity for students to be part of the Forum’s initiatives in addressing pressing health challenges.

Two fellowships are offered for undergraduate students who will interact with Forum staff, faculty and visiting leaders, meet health system stakeholders such as heads of medical associations, hospital CEOs, government and World Health Organization representatives, and be involved in the planning, research and execution of various Forum events such as stakeholder dialogues. They will also develop work plans to advance the aims of the Forum and support their own development, and undertake an internship in an organization charged with addressing health challenges.

Taking a closer look at the science behind media, celebrity claims about health

February 1, 2013 - The importance of understanding the evidence behind health-related claims trumpeted in all forms of media has been the focus of several recent initiatives connected with the McMaster Health Forum.

An op-ed article by Forum adjunct faculty member Steven Hoffman, a student-led discussion, and a webinar geared towards helping journalists with evidence-based health reporting, all focused on how to decipher the many conflicting messages bombarding the public.

Cochrane webinars focus on improving the use of evidence in healthcare decisions

January 24, 2013 – A webinar about the McMaster Health Forum’s stakeholder dialogues and Health Systems Evidence that was part of a series on making the best use of evidence to inform decisions about policies related to healthcare is now available on YouTube.

The webinar focused on how both stakeholder dialogues and Health Systems Evidence can help address the challenges often faced in evidence-informed policymaking, such as research competing with other factors in the policymaking process, undervaluing research, and research that isn’t relevant or easy to use.

Benefits and shortcomings of genome sequencing subject of public lecture

January 16, 2013 - Advancements in understanding the genetic makeup of human beings have reached the point where some scientists suggest individuals will soon be able to have their entire genome mapped for a cost of less than $1,000.

There are suggestions that these technological advances hold the potential of creating a revolution in healthcare, in which healthcare treatments and prevention strategies can be individualized – an approach often called ‘personalized medicine.’

But are the expectations of society for a brave new world of personalized medicine realistic? Should people be lining up to learn their genome sequence in order to seek healthcare treatments and develop lifestyle habits to help them avoid genetic diseases for which they are at risk?

Memorandum between McMaster, PAHO extended for an additional three years of collaboration

January 14, 2013 - McMaster University has strengthened its ties with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) with the renewal of a memorandum governing collaborations related to strengthening knowledge translation for public health and health equity at the global level.

The memorandum outlines the continuation and expansion of efforts aimed at strengthening capacities and technical cooperation in knowledge translation throughout low-, middle- and high-income countries in the region of the Americas for the next three years.

Under the leadership of John Lavis, director of the McMaster Health Forum, and Holger Schunemann, chair of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, activities such as organizing international dialogues about pressing health challenges, preparing and supporting the implementation of PAHO guidance documents, organizing skills-building activities to support knowledge translation in public health, integrating research databases to provide enhanced access to evidence on public health, and collaboration in the development and dissemination of publications relevant to knowledge translation in public health, will be furthered during the term of the agreement.

Best-in-class databases, including HSE, subject of monthly CE&B rounds

January 8, 2013 - McMaster University’s three best-in-class databases that support clinical, public health and health systems decision-making, both in Canada and internationally, will be the focus of the January 16 rounds for the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

The methods, contents and usage of McMaster PLUS for clinical decision-making, Health-Evidence.ca for public health decision-making, and Health Systems Evidence for health systems decision-making, will be described during the session that will take place from 3:45 to 5 p.m., in Room 4E20 of the Health Sciences Centre. The session will also be available remotely, through Elluminate. Click here for instructions on how to log in.

Range of pressing health challenges focus of student subcommittee initiatives

January 2, 2013 - The McMaster Health Forum Student Subcommittee is ramping up for a busy second semester with a robust list of events planned to give students from throughout the campus the chance to engage in informative discussions about a range of pressing health challenges.

First up is an interactive presentation on Jan. 21, with Tim Caulfied, a professor from the University of Alberta and holder of the Canada Research Chair in Health, Law and Policy, and Steven Hoffman, adjunct faculty with the Forum and a Fulbright and Knox Fellow at Harvard University, where he is studying towards his PhD. The two researchers will discuss how to gauge the validity of various types of claims about health, during the event entitled Deception, Drugs and Diets: Falsehoods of the Health Industry.

Forum offices closed from December 21 until January 7

December 20, 2012 - The offices of the McMaster Health Forum will be closed from 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 21 until 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 7, 2013.

Some Forum staff will be working and available by email from Jan. 2 to Jan. 4.

McMaster University is closed Dec. 22 until Jan. 1, inclusive.

The Forum wishes to extend seasonal greetings to all, and looks forward to new and exciting ventures with our many partners and supporters in 2013.

Cochrane webinar series offers training on using evidence to inform policymaking

December 10, 2012 -The McMaster Health Forum’s stakeholder dialogues and Health Systems Evidence will be the focus of two webinars in a series on making the best use of evidence to inform decisions about policies related to healthcare.

Each webinar will focus on how both stakeholder dialogues and Health Systems Evidence can help address the challenges often faced in evidence-informed policymaking, such as research competing with other factors in the policymaking process, undervaluing research, and research that isn’t relevant or easy to use.

Hoffman calls for Canada to re-affirm its commitment to global health in foreign-aid policy

November 26, 2012 - Canada’s diminishing role as a world leader in prioritizing health in its foreign-aid policy is examined in an op-ed piece by McMaster Health Forum adjunct faculty member Steven Hoffman published in the Globe and Mail on Nov. 26.

Hoffman, an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatics, draws on the announcement by International Cooperation Minister Julian Fantino on Canada’s vision for foreign-aid policy, to show how Canada has moved away from emphasizing health as a priority in foreign-aid policy.

While the country continues to invest in global health initiatives, Hoffman says: “Canada is certainly not the world leader it once was and should be on health issues. That role has been abandoned by the current federal government.”

To read the op-ed article, click here.

The commentary prompted this response from Fantino, also published in the Globe and Mail.

Hoffman was also interviewed about his views on foreign aid by CTV News. View the interview here.

Australian trauma research institute initiative follows McMaster Health Forum model

November 12, 2012 - The work of the McMaster Health Forum that focuses on supporting evidence-informed health systems has been used as a model for a new forum established by an Australian trauma research institute.

The National Trauma Research Institute Forum (NTRI), based in the state of Victoria, aims to improve the care of people who have traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries, through defining the major challenges in caring for them, summarizing relevant information, convening stakeholder dialogues and supporting change.

Strategies to reduce suicide among young people to be discussed by panel of experts

November 01, 2012 - Suicide remains a leading cause of non-accidental deaths in 15- to 24-year-old Canadians. A total of 479 people in this age group committed suicide in 2009 (the most recent year for which statistics are available), representing 24 per cent of all deaths among those aged 15 to 24. These staggering numbers emphasize the need to address this complex and multifaceted issue in a timely manner.

Students, staff, faculty and community members are invited to engage in a discussion with an expert panel on various considerations, challenges and opportunities for preventing suicide in Canada, on Thursday, November 8. Organized by the Student Subcommittee of the McMaster Health Forum, the discussion entitled Preventing Suicide in Canada: An Expert Panel will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in room 3024 of the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery.

PAHO director Mirta Roses Periago shares insights from Health in the Americas report

November 1, 2012 - The progress made in public health in countries reaching from Canada in the north to Chile and Argentina in the south was discussed during a presentation by Dr. Mirta Roses Periago, director of the Pan American Health Organization, at a presentation at McMaster University in October.

The presentation -- Health in the Americas: Charting our progress -- drew on information from the recently released Health in the Americas report, which provides an exhaustive compilation of information that describes advances in public health, the major social determinants of health, health conditions and trends in the 48 countries and territories that make up the region of the Americas. Dr Roses noted the continuing high level of inequality in the distribution of health and well-being in the region that requires urgent attention.

About 150 students, faculty and staff from the University attended the presentation, which was organized in conjunction with the 45^th session of PAHO’s Advisory Committee on Health Research, hosted at the McMaster Health Forum from Oct. 17 to 19.

The slides from the presentation are available here, in Prezi, a cloud-based presentation software. Click the arrows at the bottom of the presentation screen to advance the slides. The accompanying script is available here.

The full Health in the Americas report is also available online. Click here to access the document.

Enhanced version of Health Systems Evidence being launched at Beijing symposium

October 28, 2012 - The newly enhanced version of Health Systems Evidence will be launched on November 1 at the Second Global Symposium on Health Systems Research being held in Beijing, China.

Health Systems Evidence is already the world's most comprehensive, free access point for evidence to support policymakers, stakeholders and researchers interested in how to strengthen or reform health systems or in how to get cost-effective programs, services and drugs to those who need them.

Student subcommittee commits to ambitious goals in 2012-2015 strategic plan

October 25, 2012 - The McMaster Health Forum Student Subcommittee has released its strategic plan for 2012-2015 - Stimulating Minds, Nurturing Leaders, Facilitating Action - that details the subcommittee’s vision for the next three years.

The student subcommittee’s four main goals are to:

• engage students in discussion of and education about pressing health challenges;
• nurture leaders of tomorrow by creating opportunities for professional growth;
• explore the subcommittee’s role and potential to facilitate action on pressing health challenges; and
• strive for organizational excellence.

PAHO director to share insights on advances in health and need to address continuing inequities

October 12, 2012 - The McMaster University community has the unique opportunity to hear one of the world’s leading authorities on the state of health in the countries of the Americas during a public presentation on Wednesday, October 17 at 6 p.m.

Dr. Mirta Roses Periago, director of the Pan American Health Organization for the past 10 years, will describe the progress made in public health in countries reaching from Canada in the north to Chile and Argentina in the south, and highlight the continuing high level of inequality in the distribution of health and well-being in the region that requires urgent attention.

Her presentation entitled Health in the Americas: Charting our progress, will draw from the recently released Health in the Americas report, an exhaustive compilation of information that describes advances in public health, the major social determinants of health, and health conditions and trends in the 48 countries and territories that make up the region of the Americas.

International delegates gather at the Forum to discuss progress, future strategies in health research

October 11, 2012 - Delegates from several South, Central and North American countries as well as officials from the Washington, D.C.-based regional office of the World Health Organization will gather at McMaster University next week to advance efforts in improving health research.

More than 25 delegates and invited guests involved with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) are attending meetings from Oct. 17 to 19, as part of the 45th session of PAHO’s Advisory Committee on Health Research (ACHR), which is currently chaired by John Lavis, director of the McMaster Health Forum.

This is the first time the session involving high-level officials actively working to improve global health through better research has been held in Canada, and satellite events are planned to allow the University community to learn more about PAHO’s work.

Students invited to learn how to successfully build community through digital communications

September 20, 2012 - Learning how to successfully build a community in a club, the workplace, or other types of groups and venues will be the focus of a workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at the McMaster Health Forum.

Organized by the Forum’s Student Subcommittee, The New Age of Participation: A Workshop on Community Building, will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Forum’s DialogueSpace on the fourth floor of Mills Memorial Library.

Science-ish writer Julia Belluz wins CMA award for digital health reporting

September 19, 2012 - A Maclean’s magazine blog that was established with the support of the McMaster Health Forum and brings to light the most relevant evidence related to various health issues has been recognized with a coveted health journalism award.

Julia Belluz, who writes Science-ish, a joint project of Maclean’s, the Medical Post and the Forum, has won the 2012 Excellence in Digital Health Reporting award from the Canadian Medical Association. The CMA Media Awards, announced this week, honour outstanding Canadian journalism that enhances understanding of health, the healthcare system and the role of health professionals.

Five partners at McMaster will establish one-stop source for information and tools related to healthy aging

September 7, 2012 - The McMaster Health Forum will play a key role in the University’s initiatives to become Canada’s authoritative voice on optimal aging.

The University has received a $10 million gift from McMaster graduate and Toronto businesswoman Suzanne Labarge to establish the Labarge Optimal Aging Opportunities Fund that will finance new research and create better methods to make the best and most current information on healthy aging available to the public and those working in the healthcare and social services fields.

Open houses planned, new members sought for Forum's student subcommittee

September 7, 2012 - Students from throughout the McMaster University campus are invited to visit the McMaster Health Forum and learn more about getting involved with its student subcommittee at two open houses planned for Sept. 18 and 19.

Both events will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Forum’s space on the fourth floor of Mills Memorial Library. The open houses will include a brief presentation about the work of the Forum and in particular its student subcommittee, as well as an opportunity for networking among students who have shared interests in health-related topics.

Student publication informs discussions by WHO working group on access to medicines in developing countries

August 29, 2012 - A group of McMaster University students have published an analysis on improving access to medicines at the international level that has been used to help inform the discussions and recommendations of a World Health Organization working group.

Student Voices 4 – Assessing Proposals for Access to Medicines Reform, published this week, was developed in collaboration with the WHO’s Consultative Expert Working Group on Research & Development (CEWG). An earlier version of the publication was submitted to the CEWG, to aid in the preparation of a report submitted to the WHO’s governing bodies in May.

Webinars to offer hands-on experience in finding research research related to healthcare renewal in Canada

August 21, 2012 - Health systems policymakers, stakeholders and researchers from across Canada can learn more about a recently launched “one-stop-shopping” resource that supports healthcare renewal in Canada through a webinar being offered in both English and French on September 13.

The one-hour webinars will provide detailed information about the Evidence-Informed Healthcare Renewal (EIHR) Portal, launched at the end of June, which contains 24 types of documents related to healthcare renewal in Canada, including jurisdictional reviews, stakeholder position papers, and intergovernmental communiqués.

Publication highlights 10 best resources for evidence-informed policymaking

July 30, 2012 - A publication that can help health policymakers from around the world incorporate relevant, high quality research evidence in efforts to improve health systems is now available on the McMaster Health Forum website.

The article entitled 10 best resources for . . . evidence-informed health policy making, recently published in the journal Health Policy and Planning, is authored by Kaelan Moat, Lead, Health Systems Evidence for the Forum, and Forum Director John Lavis.

Using a framework that identifies and organizes six elements that can help in the understanding of ways to support the use of evidence in the health policymaking process, the paper highlights the 10 most useful and publicly available resources that can aid in this process. The resources are from a range of diverse sources and in a variety of formats. Collectively they provide an excellent way with which to build a comprehensive understanding of the various facets of supporting evidence-informed health policy.

The incorporation of relevant high quality research evidence into the policymaking process has been outlined as a key strategy to improve health systems worldwide.

The publication is available for download on the Our resources page of the Forum website.

New portal on Health Systems Evidence supports healthcare renewal in Canada

June 28 - A new portal added to the Health Systems Evidence website will ensure health system policymakers and stakeholders have easier, faster access to policy-related information focused on healthcare renewal in Canada.

Canada’s Evidence-Informed Healthcare Renewal (EIHR) Portal is a continuously updated repository of policy-relevant documents including jurisdictional reviews, stakeholder position papers, and intergovernmental communiqués.

It is an initiative of the EIHR Roundtable, and managed by a collaboration between the McMaster Health Forum and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The portal provides ‘one-stop-shopping’ for the many types of documents that can support healthcare renewal. The 24 types of documents included address priority areas identified by Canadian federal, provincial and territorial governments, such as primary healthcare, patient safety, health human resources and performance indicators (e.g., timely access).

CIHR grants $400,000 for projects examining range of pressing health challenges

May 15, 2012 - The McMaster Health Forum’s leading researchers have recently been awarded nearly $400,000 in grants to prepare evidence briefs and convene stakeholder dialogues examining four different pressing health challenges.

Forum Assistant Director Mike Wilson and Director John Lavis are leading three of the projects, and are co-principal investigators on the fourth project. All are funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Forum focuses attention on addressing challenges of healthy aging

May 3, 2012 - The McMaster Health Forum is taking on a key role in addressing the challenges of dealing with a rapidly growing population of aging Canadians, by establishing aging as a core theme of its work.

Policymakers, researchers and other key stakeholders can now easily access some of the best available research syntheses related to the subject of supporting healthy aging and caring for older adults, through a newly identified healthy aging theme in Health Systems Evidence, the world’s most comprehensive, free access point for evidence on strengthening and reforming health systems, and on getting cost-effective programs, services and drugs to those who need them.

Two subcommittee members to expand their role with the Forum through fellowships

April 25, 2012 - Two students who have gained insight into the work of the McMaster Health Forum through their involvement with the Forum’s student subcommittee have been awarded McMaster Health Forum Fellowships for 2012-13.

Emily Milko, who will be entering the fourth year of the Arts & Science program at McMaster in the fall, and Sherna Tamboly, who will be in the final year of the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) program, have been chosen to receive the $4,000 awards.

Webinar will offer guidance on deliberative methods to obtain public input

April 5, 2012 - Julia Abelson, an adjunct faculty with the McMaster Health Forum, will share her expertise in the design and evaluation of methods to engage the public to inform health care decision-making during a webinar on April 19 at 3 p.m.

Abelson is one of four presenters in the webinar which has been organized by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Entitled Using Deliberative Methods to Engage the Public: How to design and implement an effective deliberative session, the webinar is designed to provide practical guidance for those interested in using deliberative methods for obtaining meaningful public input to inform their work.

Former NHL player, physician advocate guest speakers at dialogue on concussions

March 23, 2012 - The McMaster Health Forum Student Subcommittee has organized a public discussion to explore the issue of preventing concussions in professional and amateur hockey, to take place on Friday, March 30.

Students, staff, faculty and community members are invited to attend the event that will feature a former National Hockey League player who sustained several concussions during his playing career, and a retired physician known for his work in prompting stricter rules regarding hits to the head.

PLoS Medicine articles highlight need for better processes to ensure research evidence informs health systems guidance, policies

March 13, 2012 - McMaster University’s John Lavis played a key role in a series of articles being published in PLoS Medicine that examine the need for and process of translating research evidence into guidance to inform policies that ultimately improve the delivery of healthcare nationally and globally.

Lavis is the lead author on the second of the three articles, and a contributing author on the other two that PLoS Medicine is publishing over a two-week period. The articles address how research evidence should be translated into guidance to inform policies on health systems, and improve the delivery of effective clinical and public health interventions. Particular attention is given to the issues raised during meetings of a task force on developing health systems guidance which was set up following a request from the World Health Organization.

Students invited to workshop on finding and using research evidence to improve health systems

March 5, 2012 - McMaster University students have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in how to find and use research to strengthen health systems at an interactive workshop on Thursday, March 22, in the McMaster Health Forum DialogueSpace.

Organized by the Forum’s student subcommittee, the event entitled Strengthening Health Systems in Canada and in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Workshop on Evidence-informed Policymaking, will allow participants to work with a health systems topic of their choosing, to explore how to find the best available research, and learn the steps involved in evidence-informed policymaking.

New evidence service focuses on hospital-based tobacco-cessation supports

February 27, 2012 - The McMaster Health Forum Evidence Service, which provides links to newly-identified research syntheses, is currently available on four topics.

The newest service, on hospital-based tobacco-cessation supports, is being distributed on February 28.

The Forum’s evidence service consists of monthly newsletters that provide links to newly-identified research related to options identified in evidence briefs prepared to inform stakeholder dialogues.

Forum offers valuable experiences to students through annual fellowships

February 21, 2012 – Applications are now being accepted for the 2012-2013 McMaster Health Forum Fellowships that offer an exceptional opportunity for students to be part of the Forum’s initiatives in addressing pressing health challenges.

Two fellowships are offered for undergraduate students who will interact with Forum staff, faculty and visiting leaders, meet health system stakeholders such as heads of medical associations, hospital CEOs, government and World Health Organization representatives, and be involved in the planning, research and execution of various Forum events such as stakeholder dialogues. They will also develop work plans to advance the aims of the Forum and support their own development, and undertake an internship in an organization charged with addressing health challenges.

Forum offices closed for Family Day

The offices of the McMaster Health Forum will be closed on Monday, February 20, along with the rest of McMaster University, to observe Family Day.

The office will re-open at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, February 21.

Project management experts will provide students with hands-on experience

January 19, 2012 - McMaster University students will have the chance to build project management skills at Take the Lead: A Workshop on Project Management, on Wednesday February 1, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Organized by the McMaster Health Forum Student Subcommittee, the workshop will be facilitated by two experts in the field of project management - Kelly Ann Pauly, a senior project manager at ArcelorMittal Dofasco, and Ori Schibi, an instructor with McMaster’s Project Management Program.

Unique challenges faced by advocates, policymakers and industry in struggle to address lack of access to medicines 

January 18, 2012 - With more than 10 million people dying each year because they lack access to medicines, the global struggle to achieve universal access to treatments is complex and involves many players from both public and private sectors.

The McMaster University community and the public at large are invited to engage in a discussion with a panel of experts about innovative solutions to address the global challenges associated with access to medicines, on Friday, January 27.