Frontline Health Dialogues: Ottawa Roundtable

During the Frontline Health Dialogue held in Ottawa, participants in the roundtable spoke with passion and commitment. They quickly recognized their shared purpose and commonality of interest. Participants explored ways to build communities of practice around frontline health, approaches to influencing public perception and policy, and some necessary actions to improve how Canada delivers healthcare to vulnerable populations in the years to come.

A number of key messages surfaced repeatedly throughout the dialogue:   (a) Frontline populations are richly diverse. This diversity should always be considered when thinking about research, policy work and service delivery.   (b) The field of frontline health should be framed by a common definition of terms, issues and opportunities. This will aid collaboration and awareness efforts, help to unite frontline practitioners, and validate their status within the healthcare system.   (c) A community of frontline practitioners should be created to encourage the sharing of ideas, innovations and opportunities. This will aid the future development of the field of frontline health.   As participants emphatically agreed, the quality and strength of Canada’s healthcare system relies upon how it meets the needs of all Canadians, including its most vulnerable populations.   READ MORE HERE: Report from Ottawa Roundtable   Download: The Frontline Health Dialogues: Report from the Ottawa Roundtable   AZ9039