Q
Dedicated to enhancing the health
and safety of Canadians through
public health informatics
Queen’s University Public Health Informatics (QPHI) Team
Can Occupational Health data
contribute to Public Health?
Tara Donovan
Institute of Population and Public Health’s
Research Day
January 28th, 2008
www.quesst.ca
Innovative, Integrated, Syndromic
Surveillance System
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purpose: Develop an automated, integrated, syndromic
surveillance system
Method: Use routinely collected electronic
Occupational Health visit data in addition to Emergency
Department visits data
objective: Monitor respiratory and gastrointestinal
illness activity both within the community (ED) and
hospital (OH)
Q
Dedicated to enhancing the health
and safety of Canadians through
public health informatics
OH Reporting Legislation/ Recommendations
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SARS Commission Final Report (Campbell)
Ontario Health Plan for an Influenza Pandemic
Recommendations for Infection Control/ Surveillance
MOHLTC (Task Force)
Enteric Disease Surveillance Protocol for Ontario
Hospitals (OHA & OMA – CD protocols)
How does OH surveillance contribute to
Public Health?
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Automatic, concise details of OH visit activity for
surveillance of unusual health events or disease
outbreaks
Monitoring of multiple data sources
Enhances communication and collaboration with
appropriate health care professionals and stakeholders
Early Warning to facilitate public health response (eg.
increased Infection Control, implementation of
emergency plans)
Awareness of absenteeism
Q
Dedicated to enhancing the health
and safety of Canadians through
public health informatics