Belanger Paul

Currently, three main sources of data are used to monitor the prevalence of influenza in Ontario: Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) FluWatch, Ontario’s Acute Care Enhanced Surveillance (ACES) data and Public Health Ontario’s (PHO) traditional laboratory data. However, a limitation of these data sources is that it typically underestimates the burden of infection in populations living in remote communities and/or populations with less severe symptoms. This study describes a self-swabbing surveillance system mediated by a THHL that uses syndromic surveillance tools to recruit and monitor participants with influenza-like illness. The intent of this system is not to replace, but rather to complement other surveillance systems and clinical based testing for influenza, thereby extending the reach of surveillance through the use of self-swabbing. An additional rationale for this type of surveillance system is that it can reduce transmission of infection by limiting the number of visits to emergency departments or doctors’ offices, thereby reducing contact with the young and elderly populations, who are at most risk for infection.

Objective

Explore the use and feasibility of self-swabbing mediated by a telephone health helpline (THHL) as a complementary tool for surveillance of influenza and other common respiratory viruses in Ontario, Canada.

Geographic Information System (GIS) technology provides visual tools, through the creation of computerized maps, graphs, and tables of geographic data, which can assist with problem solving and inform decision-making. One of the GIS tools being developed by KFL&A Public Health is the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Mapper. The SDOH Mapper consists of layers of information related to deprivation and marginalization indices across Ontario. The SDOH Mapper facilitates the inclusion of information related to vulnerable populations with the use of both age and social determinants of health data into the GIS portal. This is useful for observing trends in marginalization and deprivation across dissemination areas in Ontario, and for examining health inequities in an area over time. The SDOH mapper will, in this way, improve knowledge transmission on the effects of poverty and marginalization on outcomes.

Objective

To describe how the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Mapper is used by KFL&A Public Health to enhance real-time situational awareness of vulnerable populations across Ontario by facilitating the inclusion of information relating to marginalization and deprivation indices.

In 2012, Canada and other World Health Organization Member States endorsed the Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health, a global commitment to address health inequities by acting on the social, economic, environmental, and other factors that shape health. The Public Health Informatics team at KFL&A Public Health works on various surveillance projects to better support vulnerable populations, and prepare for emergency situations.

Objective

This roundtable will provide a hands-on workshop to learn about three surveillance systems developed and used by the Emergency Department Syndromic Surveillance Team at KFL&A Public Health. It will be an opportunity to address issues relevant to syndromic surveillance including: equity, emergency response, health preparedness, and health systems management. Additionally, participants will be able to apply new knowledge on improving health equity, and its relationship to social determinants of health, in their own jurisdictions.

In the current state of the health care system there is uneven access to primary care, and too many people struggling to navigate the system are receiving care in the hospital for issues that would be better dealt with in the community, and then are being readmitted to the hospital only days after leaving. To address these issues and improve efficient continuity of care, the Health Links program provides a new model of care at the clinical level in Ontario. In this model all of the patient’s health service providers in the community, including primary care, hospital, and community care, work together to create a coordinated care plan for the patient. The initial focus of Health Links is on highcost users. Health Links, and primary care as a whole, require comprehensive data analysis to effectively support patients and providers. SHIIP is a portal-based technology solution that enhances individual patient care while providing real-time feedback and summarized data to help plan care. The primary objective of SHIIP is to develop an Integrated Portal with core functionalities that will facilitate the sharing of information and enable person-centred care coordination. SHIIP aims to assists the success of Health Links by providing consistent maintenance and sharing of patient records, timely communication and collaboration between a patient’s multiple health care providers, and removing physical barriers through the virtualization of care processes. SHIIP is designed to identify and assist in the delivery of care for complex/high needs patients, and will facilitate reporting, performance monitoring and quality improvement efforts. Some of the anticipated benefits of SHIIP include: enhanced patient experience, reduced workflow duplication, improved access to information at point of care, more efficient clinical documentation, and improved health outcomes. Ultimately, SHIIP helps to improve access and quality of healthcare, and consequently health equity, especially for complex/high-needs patients.

Objective

To describe how the South Eastern Integrated Information Portal (SHIIP) will support the Health Links program with the delivery of care for patients, by facilitating reporting, performance monitoring and quality improvement efforts. The portal-based technology that SHIIP uses to integrate all of a patient’s clinical care information into summarized data and to provide real-time feedback will also be explained.

Geographic Information System (GIS) applications are increasingly being used for public health purposes. GIS technology provides visual tools – through the creation of computerized maps, graphs, and tables of geographic data – that can assist with problem solving and inform decision-making. PHIMS aims to enable visualization and spatial analysis of environmental data with underlying population based indicators. PHIMS displays many layers of environmental information across Ontario, and users can view maps demonstrating environmental or demographic data as they apply to specific geographic areas. This is useful for observing where environmental events are occurring, detecting potential emergency situations, and identifying areas with vulnerable populations. By displaying available, real-time, environmental data from multiple partners through PHIMS, public health events can be identified earlier to better prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.

Objective

To describe how the Public Health Information Management System (PHIMS) tool is used by KFL&A Public Health to enhance real-time situational awareness and assist with evidence informed decision-making to help protect the health of the population.