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Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique logoLink to Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique
editorial
. 2010 Mar 1;101(Suppl 1):S46–S52. doi: 10.1007/BF03403846

Research Opportunities Using Administrative Databases and Existing Surveys for New Knowledge in Occupational Health and Safety in Canada, Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia

Peter M Smith 18,28,✉, Susan R Stock 38,48, Christopher B McLeod 58,68,78,88, Mieke Koehoorn 68,78,88, Alain Marchand 98, Cameron A Mustard 18,28
PMCID: PMC6973973  PMID: 20629447

Abstract

In Canada, many datasets are initially collected for purposes other than occupational health and safety (OHS) research. These include administrative health care billing records, pharmaceutical records, vital statistics, provincial cancer registries and workers’ compensation claims data. In addition, many national and provincial health surveys, while not focused specifically on occupational health and safety, collect data on the health status and health determinants of populations, and such data can be used for investigating OHS issues among Canadian workers. This paper provides examples of the use of administrative and survey data for OHS research projects from the provinces of Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia to illustrate the potential of such data. These three provinces have a long history of using administrative and survey data for OHS research and have developed capacity in this regard for improving access to data, for linkage of records across databases and for developing methods to answer OHS questions. As research using these data sources expands, a consistent understanding within the work and health research community must be forged concerning the strengths and limitations of these data resources and their comparability.

Key words: Surveillance, work injury and illness, Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia

Footnotes

Conflict of Interest: None to declare.

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