The coordination of health surveillance includes working with data providing organizations such as Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information to ensure that the Public Health Agency of Canada receives important public health information that helps us to better understand the health issues facing Canadians.

Surveillance coordination also means working with the Provinces and Territories to provide tools to better manage data. Such tools include:
the Framework and Tools for Evaluating Health Surveillance Systems,
and the soon to be launched -
Inventory of Public Health Data Sources and Surveillance Activities.

The Health Surveillance Coordination Committee provides a forum for the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada in which to discuss issues related to health surveillance programs. In this context, surveillance is broadly defined, to include not only disease, but alsohealth risk factors and health determinants amenable to public health action. The principal aim of the committee is to add value to the Agency’s existing health surveillance efforts by promoting, sharing, minimising duplication of effort, promoting standards, and providing advice.

Framework and Tools for Evaluating Health Surveillance Systems
is a tool designed to help managersof health surveillance systems identify and document issues relating to the rationale,implementation and effectiveness of their health surveillance systems. The Framework andTools provide standard approaches that managers can apply in their efforts to identify currentpractices and to enhance the ability of surveillance to provide relevant information for the reviewof public health objectives.

Six steps are outlined for systematically reviewing the purpose, design, management and operational characteristics of a system within the context of its program.

Step 1 Establishing the context of the surveillance system
Step 2 Developing evaluation questions
Step 3 Designing the process for data collection and management
Step 4 Collating and presenting the findings
Step 5 Reviewing an evaluation report
Step 6 Following up on the use of findings

The ease of implementation and degree of success of an evaluation is closely linked to:

• Clear roles and responsibilities among partners;
• Resources tied to expected outcomes;
• Appropriate performance measures determined for ongoing adjustments;
• Evaluation that is identified and planned within the overall program life-cycle; and
• Adequate reporting of outcomes.

Inventory of Public Health Dsata Sources and Surveillance Activities
is an integrated public health resource, including data sources regarding injuries, chronic disease risk factors, environmental and occupational health as well as documenting the data repositories and surveillance systems within the Public Health Agency of Canada. It is revised and updated annually by the Office of Public Health Practice.

The Inventory of Public Health Data Sources and Surveillance Activities aims to increase the awareness of the existence of data sources, to help identify in a common way the content of the data sources and to readily demonstrate the gaps and overlaps in data collection as well as demonstrating their variability.

The Inventory identifies and addresses:

• Who manages the data?
• Why was the data collected?
• What was collected?
• How was the data collected?
• Changes worth noting that may affect data interpretation?
• What data are available and how can they be accessed?
• What reports are generated and how can I get a copy?
• Are there any costs to completing a data or information request?
• What are the strengths and limitations of the data?
• Other considerations

For more information, contact publichealthpractice@phac-aspc.gc.ca
or call toll free: 1-877-430-9995.