McMaster Health Forum

A plain-language citizen brief mobilizes relevant research evidence about a problem, options for addressing it, and/or barriers and facilitators to implement these options. Citizen briefs are prepared to inform a citizen panel and are made publicly available after the citizen panels have taken place.

A panel summary highlights the views and experiences of panel participants about a problem, options to address it, and potential barriers and facilitators to implement these options. A panel summary describes areas of common ground and differences of opinions among participants and (where possible) identifies the values underlying different positions. Panel summaries are made publicly available after the citizen panels have taken place.

Two-page overview of what was learned from a citizen panel.

A summary of what was learned from a stakeholder dialogue that addressed problems, options for addressing these problems, key implementation considerations, and the next steps. Dialogue summaries are made publicly available after the stakeholder dialogues have taken place.

An evidence brief starts with a policy issue, for instance strengthening the provision of primary healthcare or the need for wider support across health systems to manage chronic pain. It identifies the available research evidence on these high-priority issues. Elements of each brief include: the problem and its causes, possible policy and program options, and a review of barriers of implementation and strategy.

A horizon scan brief is designed to inform horizon-scanning panel deliberations focused on identifying, refining and prioritizing pressing health- and social-system topics that can be considered by government policymakers, system and organizational leaders, professional leaders and citizen leaders. It provides insights from key-informant interviews, evidence documents and the experiences of jurisdictions in Canada and internationally that help explain why a particular topic may warrant attention.

A horizon scan summary provides a thematic summary of what was learned during horizon-scanning panel deliberations, focused on identifying, refining and prioritizing pressing health-and social-system topics that can be considered by government policymakers, system and organizational leaders, professional leaders and citizen leaders.

An issue brief mobilizes research evidence about a problem, possible options for addressing it, and key implementation considerations. Issue briefs are undertaken on policy issues where an evidence synthesis has already been prepared (so a comprehensive search for research evidence is not needed), or a 'one-stop shop' for systematic reviews doesn't exist (so a comprehensive search for research evidence could not be conducted in a timely way).

An assessment of what is known about problems related to a healthcare topic.

A living citizen brief is a plain-language version of a living evidence brief, and synthesizes what is known, based on the best available global and local research evidence, about a priority health- or social-system topic. It provides context for the issue(s) being addressed, clarifies the problem (and it’s causes), frames elements of a potentially comprehensive approach for addressing it, and outlines key implementation considerations. It serves as an input into a citizen panel.