This category includes key knowledge and critical thinking skills related to the public health sciences, behavioural and social sciences, biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental public health, demography, workplace health, and the prevention of chronic diseases, infectious diseases, psychosocial problems and injuries. Competency in this category requires the ability to apply knowledge in practice.
Competencies:
- Demonstrate knowledge about the following concepts:
- the health status of populations
- inequities in health
- the determinants of health and illness
- strategies for health promotion
- disease and injury prevention and health protection
- the factors that influence the delivery and use of health services
- Demonstrate knowledge about the history, structure and interaction of public health and health care services at local, provincial/ territorial, national, and international levels.
- Apply the public health sciences to practice.
- Use evidence and research to inform health policies and programs.
- Demonstrate the ability to pursue lifelong learning opportunities in the field of public health.
Health Status of Populations
- Health indicators framework This Indicator Framework provides comparable data for health status, non-medical determinants of health, health system performance, and community and health system characteristics. Where applicable, data is dis-aggregated by age, sex, and province/territory. Statistics Canada/Canadian Institute for Health Information.
- Statistics Canada Health reports This journal of population health and health services research publishes peer-reviewed research analyzing various health data.
- Canadian Best Practices Portal – Health Indicators This webpage provides links to health indicators at the Canadian, provincial/territorial, and international levels. Public Health Agency of Canada.
- Public Health Skills Online These 10 web-based modules, offered 2 or 3 times each year, provide an orientation to epidemiological concepts and approaches. Examples include Basic Epidemiological Concepts, Outbreak Investigation and Management and Introduction to Biostatistics. In particular, see Module EPI 2 – Measurement of Health Status. Public Health Agency of Canada.
- Healthy Canadians-A Federal report on comparable health indicators This report is the fifth of the Healthy Canadians series, and provides data on the health of Canadians and the performance of the health care system. Health Canada.
- Reducing gaps in health. A focus on socio-economic status in urban Canada This report examines the links between socioeconomic status and health in 15 urban areas in Canada. Canadian Population Health Initiative of the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
Inequities in Health, the Determinants of Health and Illness
- Let’s talk public health roles for improving health equity This report provides an action framework outlining public health roles in health equity and suggests public health actions in equity in daily work. National Collaborating Centre for the Determinants of Health.
- Core competencies for public health in Canada. An assessment and comparison of determinants of health content This document examines the role of determinants of health in PHAC’s public health core competencies. National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health.
- Canadian Best Practices Portal – Social determinants of health This webpage provides Canadian and international resources to assist in addressing the social determinants of health. Public Health Agency of Canada.
- Integrating social ceterminants of health and health equity into Canadian public health practice This environmental scan employs literature and key expert opinions to identify key roles for public health to address health inequities. National Collaborating Centre for the Determinants of Health.
- Let’s start a conversation about health . . . and not talk about health care at all. This is a five-minute video and accompanying resources that examine the factors beyond health care that influence our health. Sudbury and District Health Unit.
- What determines health? This web page provides an overview on the social determinants of health. Public Health Agency of Canada.
- Closing the gap in a generation. Health equity through action on the social determinants of health This final report of the Commission on the Social Determinants of Health examines the evidence on health inequities and suggests actions from various players at various levels to address these inequities. Commission on the Social Determinants of Health.
- The Chief Public Health Officer’s Report on the state of public health in Canada Chapter 2 of this report defines the role and functions of public health in Canada.
- Health Equity Impact Assessment (HEIA) Tool This website provides a template and workbook to conduct a health equity impact assessment. Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
- Primer to action – Social determinants of Health is a primer for organizations and community members to take action on the social determinants of health. It includes chapters on income, education, employment, housing, food and inclusion. Ontario Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance and Health Nexus.
Strategies for Health Promotion, Disease and Injury Prevention and Health Protection as well as Factors that Influence the Delivery and Use of Health Services
- Canadian Best Practices Portal – Integrated approaches to preventing chronic diseases This website links to a number of Canadian and international resources related to data, strategies, guidance, and sample systematic reviews focused on integrated approaches to the prevention of chronic disease. Public Health Agency of Canada.
- The competency-based approach: A lever for changing public health practices in Québec This document provides a review of key learning theories, a step-by-step approach to developing a competency framework, and a comprehensive analysis of key e-learning tools such as blogs, pod-casting and Wikis with a discussion of their applications in public health. Institut national de santé publique du Québec.
- What Determines Health? This web page provides an overview on the social determinants of health. Public Health Agency of Canada.
- Health promotion 101 – Health Promotion Online Course This 9-module online course defines health promotion and discusses models, theories, strategies, and putting health promotion into practice. The Health Communication Unit.
- Population Health Promotion – An integrated model of population health and health promotion This is a classic foundational document in public health developed by Hamilton and Bhatti at Health Canada. It outlines a population health promotion model to guide action. Health Canada.
- Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion – An international conference on health promotion This charter is a key document in health promotion, developed from the 1st International Conference on Health Promotion. It outlines key actions in health promotion.
History, Structure and Interaction of Public Health and Health Care Services
- National Collaborating Centres (NCC) for Public Health There are six NCCs across Canada, focusing on the promotion and use of evidence in public health to improve public health policy and practice.
- Skills Online. PHP1-Introduction to Public Health in Canada This internet module examines public health’s history, functions, and structure, and is intended for people who are new to public health. Public Health Agency of Canada.
- Canadian Best Practices Portal (CBPP) – Policy instruments This webpage lists links to public health legislation, acts, and standards at the federal and provincial/territorial levels. Public Health Agency of Canada.
- Structural Profile of Public Health in Canada This is a comprehensive table of how public health is structured across Canada. National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy.
- The Chief Public Health Officer’s Report on the state of public health in Canada This report has a chapter covering the history of public health in Canada.
- Public Health 101 – An introduction to Public Health The module is designed as an orientation to public health in Canada, outlining public health’s history, approaches, functions, principles, governance, and competencies. Atlantic Provinces Public Health Collaboration.
Apply Public Health Science to Practice
- Skills Online, Evidence based public health practice This facilitated module provides an introduction to concepts related to evidence-based public health practice and teaches how to gather and evaluate evidence. Public Health Agency of Canada.
- Competency framework for scientific processes underlying the cross-cutting functions of the Institut national de santé publique du Québec A comprehensive inventory of individual competencies linked to the mastery of the scientific process. Institut national de santé publique du Québec.
- Health in all policies: Training manual Designed to form the basis of a 2-3 day face-to-face workshop, this manual is a training resource for the development of integrated policy approaches to health promotion/disease prevention (2015).
Use Evidence and Research to Inform Health Policies and Programs
- Health Evidence website This website includes information and quality ratings on systematic reviews of public health interventions. McMaster University.
- Health Evidence practice tools This website identifies tools for locating and using evidence in public health. McMaster University.
- Skills Online – Introduction to Literature Searching The module teaches how to prepare a literature search question, develop a strategy for literature searching, and provides potential sources for the search.
- Canadian Best Practices Portal – Best Practice Interventions Search this website for best practice interventions across a range of public health issues. Public Health Agency of Canada.
- Canadian Best Practices Portal – Evidence-informed decision making (EIDM): Information and Tools The website provides links to various Canadian resources on evidence-informed decision making. Public Health Agency of Canada.
- Canadian Best Practices Portal (CBPP) – Policy Issues This website provides links to key policy documents, provincial/territorial and federal legislation and standards in public health, policy resources, and listservs/newsletters. Public Health Agency of Canada.
- Support tools for policy-making These 18 articles focus on using and applying evidence for health policy. Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement.
Pursue Lifelong Learning Opportunities in Public Health
- Learning Modules. National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools This website links to self-directed learning modules on research and evidence for public health practitioners.
- Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) Master’s programs in public health The website links to various MPH programs in public health in Canada, as well as links to the Guidelines for Masters of Public Health (MPH) Programs in Canada.
- Public Health Skills Online These 10 web-based modules, offered 2-3 times each year, provide an orientation to epidemiological concepts and approaches. Examples include Basic Epidemiological Concepts, Outbreak Investigation and Management and Introduction to Biostatistics. Public Health Agency of Canada.
- Evidence-informed decision making – Guide to learning and training opportunities This website provides numerous links to public health learning and training opportunities on making evidence-informed decisions. Public Health Agency of Canada.