Evaluating Public Engagement for a Consensus Development Conference.

BACKGROUND: Effectively engaging Canadians to help improve the quality and delivery of healthcare to dying Canadians is a priority for healthcare administrators and policy makers. This report shares our evaluation and learnings, applying a series of strategies to encourage policy formation. The Palliative Care Matters consensus development conference held in Ottawa on November 7-9, 2016 brought together members of the public, stakeholders, scientific experts, and a lay panel of interested Canadians to examine Canadian public opinions on palliative care and question experts on how palliative care could be enhanced.

OBJECTIVE: This report shares our evaluation and learnings applying a series of strategies to encourage policy formation.

METHODS: An evaluation was conducted to measure the short, intermediate, and identify long-term outcomes of the conference. The overall performance of the conference for public engagement from November 2016 to mid June 2017 is shared.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The outcome of the conference was positive. It was attended and watched online by over 400 participants, received national print, radio and television coverage, and generated high exposure and engagement on social media. Survey results showed that the majority of steering committee, expert, and lay panel members felt a high level of engagement and agreed that the engagement process was successful. Evaluation will be conducted on an ongoing basis for at least another year.