The Canadian Consortium for Health Promotion Research: a network that adds value to governments and universities

摘要

This is an excellent model for consolidating gains in research and education in health promotion in Canada with possible application in other countries. The Canadian Consortium for Health Promotion Research is an example of a network which not only serves as a point for information exchange and energy about health promotion, it also serves as a "one stop shopping" place for contacts and resources in health promotion in Canada, a source of policy relevant research, education and training resources in French and English, information accessible to health promotion practitioners, and the development of multi-site collaborative research projects. Other countries may also benefit from this type of network so lessons learned from our Canadian experience have been included. We recommend that others find a stable (possibly government) source of funding, develop close ties to government policy-makers, have a defined membership process, foster a collaborative mindset in all members, secure staff support, and use a non-hierarchical decision-making structure.