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.

The webinar was organized by Cochrane Canada, and conducted by Forum Director John Lavis. The same webinar will be conducted in French on Feb. 6, from noon to 1 p.m., by Francois-Pierre Gauvin, lead of evidence synthesis and Francophone outreach for the Forum.

The Cochrane Canada series also includes a webinar on evidence-based health reporting, led by Julia Belluz, associate editor at The Medical Post and writer of the weekly Maclean’s magazine Sciene-ish blog, which was developed in partnership with the Forum. She will discuss the media’s role in communicating health research to the public, focusing on how to bridge the gap between reporting and research, and highlighting examples of better evidence-informed health reporting. This webinar will be held on Jan 30 from noon to 1 p.m.

Stakeholder dialogues are the Forum’s signature program, and involve setting up a steering committee, conducting key informant interviews, preparing an evidence or issue brief, and bringing together a group of participants carefully selected to ensure a mix of views and experiences are brought to the table to help uncover unique understandings of a healthcare challenge, and spark innovative ideas for addressing it. The evidence or issue brief that informs the dialogue draws on the best available research to describe what is known about the problem, three options for addressing it, and key implementation considerations.

Lavis explained how to make the best use of 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. Health Systems Evidence is a continuously updated repository of syntheses of research evidence about governance, financial and delivery arrangements within health systems, and about implementation strategies that can support change in health systems. It also includes economic evaluations, and descriptions of health systems and health system reforms.

To register for the French version of this webinar, click here. To register for the webinar on health reporting, click here.

Cochrance Canada is one of 14 independent Cochrane Centres throughout the world. The 2,800 members of Cochrane contribute to systematic reviews of treatments used in healthcare. Systematic reviews are a reliable source of evidence to help people make well-informed decisions about health care