Strengthening Public Health Surveillance through Primary Care Insights

The adoption of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems in Canadian primary care settings is widespread, and their potential benefits for disease surveillance are well-acknowledged. Pan-Canadian primary care EMR data is recognized as valuable for federal public health surveillance programs. The recently released Pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy emphasizes the importance of primary care research moving towards real-time data sharing and person-centric data. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) needs access to timely and high-quality primary care EMR data, covering all Canadian provinces and territories, in a secured environment. This access should also include supporting documentation, training, and analytical work services. PHAC aims to expand its capacity in risk assessment and trend analysis in priority areas such as long covid, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and mental health. This involves the use of innovative, validated tools and expertise from primary care researchers and practice-based research networks. The PHAC expects to engage with a Contractor and their team, seeking access, support, advice, and intelligence derived from the Contractor's tools or platforms as outlined in the Statement of Work. The contract's primary objectives involve granting the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) access to primary care Electronic Medical Record (EMR) data in a secure environment. This access requires regulatory documentation, including Research Ethics Board (REB) approvals and training certifications. PHAC aims for comprehensive access, including system documentation, data dictionaries, user support, and the ability to communicate with providers. Additionally, the contract involves developing new extraction tools to include full charts and clinical encounter notes.