Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de santé publique
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Can J Public Health · Jul 2011
"Google flu trends" and emergency department triage data predicted the 2009 pandemic H1N1 waves in Manitoba.
We assessed the performance of syndromic indicators based on Google Flu Trends (GFT) and emergency department (ED) data for the early detection and monitoring of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic waves in Manitoba. ⋯ During an influenza season characterized by high levels of disease activity, GFT and ED indicators provided a good indication of weekly counts of laboratory-confirmed influenza cases in Manitoba 1-2 weeks in advance.
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Can J Public Health · Jul 2011
Refugees and health care--the need for data: understanding the health of government-assisted refugees in Canada through a prospective longitudinal cohort.
Canada is a country with large populations of immigrants and refugees. These populations face unique health challenges and barriers to accessing health care services. Amendments to the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in 2002 have resulted in an increase in refugees with complex medical needs. ⋯ The provision of services for CARs in BC lends itself readily to the creation of a prospective CAR cohort. This, combined with access to highly reliable, valid and comprehensive administrative databases available through Population Data BC, would allow for longitudinal follow-up, and ensure low attrition rates. Establishment of such a cohort would improve knowledge of refugee health and could guide health service providers and policy-makers in providing optimal services to GARs.
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Can J Public Health · Mar 2011
A holistic model for the selection of environmental assessment indicators to assess the impact of industrialization on indigenous health.
Mainstream environmental assessment (EA) methodologies often inadequately address health, social and cultural impacts of concern for Canadian indigenous communities affected by industrialization. Our objective is to present a holistic, culturally-appropriate framework for the selection of indigenous health indicators for baseline health assessment, impact prediction, or monitoring of impacts over time. ⋯ Industrialization can worsen indigenous health inequities by perpetuating the health, social and cultural impacts of historic environmental dispossession. To mitigate impacts, EA should explicitly recognize linkages between environmental dispossession and the determinants of health and health inequities and meaningfully involve indigenous communities in the process.
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The purposes of this study were: 1) to determine the effectiveness of suicide postvention programs on suicide attempts and suicide as well as grief symptoms, mental distress, and mental health broadly defined; and 2) to investigate their cost-effectiveness. ⋯ Recommendations to provide guidance to policy-makers, administrators and clinicians are presented and directions for future research are outlined.
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Can J Public Health · Nov 2010
Comparative StudyA comparison of methods for forecasting emergency department visits for respiratory illness using telehealth Ontario calls.
Anticipating increases in hospital emergency department (ED) visits for respiratory illness could help time interventions such as opening flu clinics to reduce surges in ED visits. Five different methods for estimating ED visits for respiratory illness from Telehealth Ontario calls are compared, including two non-linear modeling methods. Daily visit estimates up to 14 days in advance were made at the health unit level for all 36 Ontario health units. ⋯ Telehealth can be used to estimate ED visits for respiratory illness at the health unit level. Non-linear modeling methods produced better estimates than regression in larger health units.