Ontario Training Centre in Health Services and Policy Research

training and mentoring | research | linkage and exchange

Training and Mentoring

The Ontario Training Centre in Health Services and Policy Research (OTC) is intended to develop graduate students as health services researchers. These students are registered in graduate faculties of the six universities that make up the OTC consortium. At York the approved programmes include: Social Work, Sociology, Economics, Business Administration, Mathematics and Statistics, Environmental Studies, Philosophy, Law, Kinesiology and Health Sciences, Women's Studies, and Education.

Research

A knowledge gap exists between the policy making process, the delivery of health-related services and health services research, partly because there are too few health services researchers. The students enrolled in the OTC receive a Type 2 Diploma when they demonstrate research competencies as set out by the OTC Curriculum Committee. These competencies include: understanding of the history and legacies of the Canadian health care system; ability to carry out research by framing questions, applying conceptual frameworks, evaluating contextual importance, developing valid measures, using appropriate analytic approaches and understanding ethical issues; understanding theories of individual and public health, and of health services knowledge production; ability to effectively exchange knowledge and develop partnerships.

Linkage and Exchange

The OTC is a consortium of six Ontario Universities that have come together to train graduate students as health services and health policy researchers. These universities include: McMaster, University of Toronto, Laurentian, Lakehead, University of Ottawa, and York. The six universities work with OTC Decision Maker Partners, such as the Canadian Healthcare Association, Aboriginal Recruitment Coordination Office, Northwestern Ontario District Health Council and Ontario Women’s Health Council. The partners contribute to curriculum development, summer institutes, and research and policy practicums. Within the university, a number of departments and graduate faculties contribute courses, faculty and students to the OTC. Students may take courses from any of the six participating universities. All of these linkages and exchanges are intended to enhance the quality and breadth of transdisciplinary training in health services research, cutting across universities, faculties and community-based organizations.