The International Clinical Epidemiology Network (INCLEN) is a worldwide growing network of over 1000 physicians, biostatisticians and health social scientists who believe that fighting discase and improving health care depend on integrating the principles of epidemiology into clinical practice. Since its inception, INCLEN has trained some 500 health practitioners at 54 medical schools in 24 countries, primarily in the developing world, to a master's degree level in clinical epidemiology. INCLEN is an independent not-for-profit (501)(c)(3) organization incorporated in the United States. The INCLEN annual meeting provides a global forum for scientific presentations and thematic workshops. Like its sixteen predecessors, INCLEN 2000 will allow the network to gather and present new work, critique ongoing studies and forge new collaborations. Continuing education sessions are an opportunity for participants to explore new ideas; obtain hands-on experience in the use of new methodological tools; and assess current thinking. Each year a certain number of core workshops are held at the Global Meeting. The demand for these continuing education sessions has outstripped INCLEN's capacity for support. In recent years, eternal funding has been raised for specific thematic workshops. This has allowed meeting participants to focus on special topics and to participate in multi-day workshop programs, which examine a subject in greater depth. INCLEN is requesting funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for four such workshops to be held during INCLEN 2000. INCLEN 2000 will be held October 13-18, 2000 in Bangkok, Thailand, with an overall theme of """"""""Research Networks for the New Millennium: Developing Countries' Contribution to Global Knowledge."""""""" The proposed four workshops combine the interests of INCLEN and AHRQ in improving the health of the people by promoting clinical practice based on the best evidence of effectiveness and the efficient use of resources. No other health network in the world trains clinician-scientists to work in their own countries while bringing them together with other disciplines to confront the world's health problems. The workshops will provide an opportunity for AHRQ staff and INCLEN faculty to form a new partnership with potential implications for health research globally. The proposed workshops form a cohesive program focusing on four elements necessary for improving health outcomes these include: (1) Outcomes Assessment: integrating Socio-cultural Differences and Patient Perspectives; (2) Methodological Issues in Measurement of Quality of Health Care; (3) Effectiveness of Disseminating Clinical Practice Guidelines; and (4) Advances in Information Technology for Quality Measurement and Monitoring. Prior INCLEN meetings have touched upon the themes of these workshops, but, in order to fully develop these and view them as a coherent whole, we are proposing a program that extends over the four days of the Global Meeting and that allows participants to delve into the subject matter more intensely. This type of program requires greater pre-planning and preparation. It is expected that 40-50 individuals will participate in each of these sessions. Workshop speakers and facilitators will be drawn from a global pool of experts, as well as from representatives from AHRQ.
