Ask Better Questions, Make Better Decisions: Laying the Groundwork for Evidence-Informed Action
Overview
In today's fast-paced healthcare environment, Canadian healthcare leaders are often called to make critical decisions in high pressure situations, under stress, with limited time, and sometimes without the best available evidence. Whether it's a physician pushing for rapid approval of a new medical device or a clinician trying to make a care decision, urgency can lead to choices that don't align with the health system's long-term objectives or deliver the best clinical outcomes for the patient.
This webinar explores how asking the right questions—early and intentionally—can transform decision-making across complex systems. Participants will learn how to identify and reduce bias, clarify purpose, and connect decisions to what truly matters: patient outcomes, system priorities, and operational realities.
We also examine how independent, unbiased clinical evidence can engage clinical decision-makers, build trust, and support more confident, transparent decisions—especially in high-stake environments.
What You'll Learn
- Recognize different types of decisions and the specific information they require.
- Frame questions that clarify purpose, context, and impact—using real-world examples.
- Identify trusted sources of evidence and understand why objectivity and impartiality matter in high-stake decisions.
- Support decisions that improve care, operations, and outcomes across programs, sites, and systems—within and across Canadian provinces and territories.
Who Should Watch
Professionals in Canadian hospitals and providers, as well as federal and provincial health authorities and ministries of health, including:
- Clinicians working in acute care and community care settings
- Medical librarians responsible for ensuring access to, and the curation of, trusted clinical evidence
- Innovation analysts and advisors who evaluate new technologies and guide adoption within health systems
- Quality & safety consultants and educators, and operational managers and frontline budget holders who support implementation of leadership priorities
- Policy and decision-makers within federal and provincial ministries of health responsible for shaping health system priorities
- Health authority and government officials involved in developing, updating, or curating health policy decisions
Why It Matters
This session is designed to help Canadian health leaders navigate complexity with clarity. Whether you're working across provinces, managing acute care delivery, or shaping emergency response strategies, the ability to ask appropriate clinical research questions—and ground decisions in trusted evidence—can lead to smarter, faster, and more impactful outcomes.
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Speakers
Evan LeGault is the Director of Clinical Evidence Services at ECRI, bringing more than 20 years of experience advancing evidence-based healthcare. Since joining ECRI in 2001, he has overseen a broad portfolio of programs, including the AHRQ-designated Evidence-based Practice Center, evidence consulting services, the Clinical Evidence Assessment membership program, and the ECRI Guidelines Trust®. In this role, Evan leads teams that deliver systematic reviews, tailored analyses, and accessible clinical guidelines that inform policy, guide clinical practice, and strengthen patient safety. Through his leadership, ECRI continues to provide healthcare organizations, government agencies, and clinicians with trusted, independent evidence to support safe, effective, and value-driven decision-making.
