• Emily Milko, Diane Wu, Justin Neves, Alexander Wolfgang Neubecker, John Lavis, and Michael Kent Ranson.
• Michael DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada, McMaster Health Forum, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L6, Canada, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1V7, Canada, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1M9, Canada, Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 2115, USA, Faculte de Medecine, University of Geneva, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland, School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK, Program in Policy Decision-Making, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada, Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada, Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada,Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, London WC2A 2AE, UK, Department of Medicine, Queens University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada and Technical Officer, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, WHO, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland Michael DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada, McMaster Health Forum, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L6, Canada, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1V7, Canada, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1M9, Canada, Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 2115, USA, Faculte de Medecine, University of Geneva, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland, School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK, Program in Policy Decision-Making, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada, Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada, Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada,Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Poli
• Health Policy Plan. 2015 Jun 1; 30 (5): 612-23.

AbstractEvaluation researchers have confirmed the importance of conference evaluation, but there remains little research on the topic, perhaps in part because evaluation methodology related to conference impact is underdeveloped. We conducted a study evaluating a 4-day long health conference, the Second Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (HSR), which took place in Beijing in November 2012. Using a conference evaluation framework and a mixed-methods approach that involved in-conference surveys, in-conference interviews and 7-month post-conference interviews, we evaluated the impact of the Symposium on attendees' work and the field of health systems research. The three major impacts on participants' work were new knowledge, new skills and new networks, and many participants were able to provide examples of how obtaining new knowledge, skills or collaborations had changed the way they conduct their work. Participants noted that the Symposium influenced the field of HSR only in so far as it influenced the capacity of stakeholders, but did not lead to any high level agenda or policy changes, perhaps due to the insufficient length of time (7 months) between the Symposium and post-conference follow-up. This study provides an illustration of a framework useful for conference organizers in the evaluation of future conferences, and of a unique methodology for evaluation researchers. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2014; all rights reserved.

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