Complete guide to Canadian hospital public health — disease prevention, cancer screening, immunisation programmes, outbreak management, PHAC guidance, provincial public health, and public health software.
PHAC coordinates national public health. Provincial public health units manage local programmes. Hospitals manage outbreaks and immunisation. This guide covers Canadian public health.
Public Health Priorities
| Priority | Description | Lead |
|---|---|---|
| Immunisation | National and provincial immunisation | PHAC (NACI) + provinces |
| Cancer screening | Breast, cervical, colorectal screening | Provincial cancer agencies |
| Chronic disease prevention | Healthy living, tobacco control | PHAC + provinces |
| Infectious disease | Surveillance and outbreak response | PHAC + public health units |
| Indigenous health | Address Indigenous health gaps | PHAC + Indigenous Services Canada |
| Mental health | Mental health promotion and prevention | MHCC + provinces |
| Emergency preparedness | Pandemic and emergency preparedness | PHAC + provinces |
Outbreak Management
- Detection: Surveillance identifies cluster of cases
- Notification: Notify IPC team and public health unit
- Investigation: Investigate source, scope, and affected patients/staff
- Control measures: Isolate, cohort, restrict admissions, enhanced cleaning
- Communication: Notify staff, patients, visitors, public health, media
- Monitoring: Monitor for new cases daily
- Declaration over: Declare outbreak over when no new cases for defined period
- Report: Report to PHAC and provincial public health
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is PHAC and what does it do?
- PHAC (Public Health Agency of Canada) is the national public health agency. PHAC: 1) Disease surveillance and outbreak response, 2. Immunisation guidance (NACI), 3. Chronic disease prevention, 4. Injury prevention, 5. Emergency preparedness, 6. Public health research, 7. Indigenous health. PHAC works with provincial public health units. During COVID-19, PHAC coordinated the national response.
- How do Canadian hospitals manage outbreaks?
- Canadian hospital outbreak management: 1) Detection — surveillance identifies outbreak (e.g., C. diff, influenza, norovirus), 2. Notification — notify IPC team and public health unit, 3. Investigation — investigate source and scope, 4. Control measures — isolate, cohort, restrict admissions, enhanced cleaning, 5. Communication — notify staff, patients, visitors, public health, 6. Declaration over — declare outbreak over when criteria met, 7. Report — report to PHAC and provincial public health.
- What immunisation programmes do Canadian hospitals provide?
- Canadian hospital immunisation: 1) Staff immunisation — influenza, COVID-19, HepB, MMR, varicella, Tdap (staff vaccination policies vary by province), 2. Patient immunisation — inpatient vaccination (influenza, pneumococcal), 3. Travel medicine — pre-travel immunisation, 4. Post-exposure prophylaxis — rabies, HepB, varicella. Provincial immunisation schedules fund most vaccines.