Question Period Note: STRATÉGIE PANCANADIENNE RELATIVE AUX DONNÉES SUR LA SANTÉ

COVID-19 has highlighted new and existing issues that make it a challenge to collect, share, and use health data for the benefit of Canadians. 'Health data' includes public health, health system and population health data. In the May 2021 Office of the Auditor General report Pandemic Preparedness, Surveillance, and Border Control Measures, it was recommended that Canada create a pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy (pCHDS) to address foundational issues related to the collection, sharing and use of health data in Canada. The Government of Canada is following this advice and creating a pCHDS through federal, provincial and territorial partnership with advice from an Expert Advisory Group. The EAG published its second report on November 30, 2021.

Key Messages
• Reliable, timely and relevant health data are crucial to inform decision-making during public health events and to improve health outcomes for Canadians in the longer term.
• The Government of Canada, in collaboration with provinces, territories and Indigenous groups, is developing a pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy to improve Canada’s collection, sharing and use of health data while protecting privacy.
• This work is being informed by expert advice and will assist Canada’s public health response to COVID-19, equip Canada to deal more effectively with future public health events, and achieve better health outcomes for Canadians through the better use of health data.
If pressed on public engagement

• Every Canadian should have a say in how their health data is used, so consultation and engagement are key for this work.
• Our Government will be engaging broadly on the strategy to hear Canadians’ views on how health data can serve them better, both during and between public health events.
If pressed on the creation of a new data agency
• The pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy Expert Advisory Group was formed to advise the federal, provincial and territorial development of the Strategy.
• While the Globe and Mail article covering the latest Expert Advisor Group report noted a recommendation related to creation of a new ‘data agency’, that is not a recommendation in the Group’s report.
• The advice contained in the latest report of the Expert Advisory Group will be considered by the Government of Canada and our health data partners as the co-development of the Strategy continues.

Pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy
Health data (which encompasses public health, health system and population health data)
are collected by numerous organizations and governments. However, as SARS and COVID-19 have demonstrated, there are persistent and important gaps in data collection, sharing and use that cost lives and negatively impact personal, health professional and system-wide health decision-making. Overall, these impacts reduce health outcomes for Canadians.
In December 2020, the Government of Canada, in collaboration with provinces and territories, began developing a pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy. The 2021 Speech from the Throne underlined the importance of improving data collection across health systems to inform future decisions and get the best possible results for Canadians. The goal of the Strategy is to identify commonly-supported, implementable solutions to address persistent barriers to the use of critical health data. Once identified, and when supported by provinces and territories, Canadians will be better served by their own health data, accelerating the transformation towards person-centred health care systems and strengthening public health decision-making during and between health emergencies.

Pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy Engagement
Every Canadian should have a say on how their health data is used, therefore engagement is key for this work. PHAC will be reaching out to stakeholders, Indigenous groups and the public to inform them of the federal/provincial/territorial (F/P/T) process of co-developing a pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy and to seek their input on how health data can serve them better, both during and between public health events.

Informed stakeholder consultations started in summer 2021 and continued into fall 2021. Further engagement will be planned as the strategy evolves. In addition, a presentation to the Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health is targeted for spring 2022.

Expert Advisory Group
A pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy Expert Advisory Group (EAG) was established in fall 2020 to provide advice and guidance to inform F/P/T co-development work. Specifically, the EAG provides advice on:
• strategic direction for the use of health systems, population, and public health data to improve the health of Canadians;
• principles to guide the creation, collection, storage, and use of data; and
• a practical and phased roadmap for the implementation of measures to sustainably address areas of greatest opportunity and impact.

On June 17, 2021, the EAG published their first report describing the systemic barriers to effective health data managment. Their second report, published on November 30, 2021, contains recommendations on how to overcome these barriers and build a health data foundation in Canada that optimizes the use of health data for better health outcomes and more effective public health event management.

While the report does not directly recommend the creation of a new health data agency, it does highlight the need for stronger and more coordinated governance models and legislation to improve health care delivery, health outcomes and public health response measures.

Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) Health Data Investments
PHAC is working directly with ISC to find alignment and synergies with Indigenous health data initiatives announced in Budget 2021. Access to reliable and culturally relevant data on Indigenous peoples is critical to building a complete portrait of Indigenous lived experiences, unmasking inequalities, and ensuring delivery of effective policies and programs. Engagement on the pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy will enable alignment with Indigenous-led data strategies, which can further self-determination by providing First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation governments and organizations with the data they need to support their communities.

Key Facts
• There are persistent and important gaps in data collection, sharing and use that cost lives and negatively impact personal, health professional and system-wide health decision-making.
• These impacts reduce health outcomes for Canadians.