NCCDH hosts workshop on bridging the gap between research and practice in health equity
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May 31, 2012
In February of this year, we collaborated with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH) and several partners to host a 2 day workshop aimed at bridging the gap between research and practice in health equity. Health equity, the absence of unfair and avoidable differences in health among population groups defined socially, economically, demographically or geographically, was integrated into all aspects of the workshop including practice- and research-driven sessions. The workshop brought together 60 researchers and practitioners from across Canada.
Using presentations and interactive components, the workshop aimed to:
- Examine approaches to recognize health inequities and increase ability to use tools to address health equity during research, program planning, implementation, and/or evaluation building on the NCCDH environmental scan
- Strengthen ability to integrate research and practice-based evidence into planning, implementing and evaluating public health interventions, as well as to monitor action and create opportunities to adjust based on the evidence.
- Identify opportunities for sustained knowledge translation and create stronger links between researchers and public health practitioners who are addressing health equity.
On the first day, four case studies that highlighted the intersection between practice and research were presented. Learn more about the the case studies here. A panel of researchers that described tools to link evidence and action on health equity was featured on the second day.
At the close of the workshop, Connie Clement, Scientific Director, NCCDH and Nancy Edwards, Scientific Director CIHR-IPPH, expressed a commitment on behalf of their organizations to consider workshop outcomes and continue to support bridging the gap between evidence and action on health equity. Participants also identified opportunities that they could commit to act upon. Students who attended the workshop also provided their reflections.
For more information, download the event proceedings and highlights.
This workshop was hosted by the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Population and Public Health, with the support of the National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Aboriginal Peoples’ Health, and the Canadian Institute for Health Information – Canadian Population Health Initiative.
