Grant: Partnerships for Health System Improvement (PHSI)

The goal of public health is to promote health and reduce the amount of disease, premature death, and pain and suffering in the population, through health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and health protection. The following example illustrates how public health services directly impact the broader health system with respect to patient outcomes and expenditures. In 2005, chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, emphysema, and diabetes accounted for 35 million deaths worldwide (10) and in 2002, the economic burden of CVD and cancer alone in Canada was $32.7 billion. Overweight and physical inactivity are recognized risk factors for chronic diseases. Public health in Canada has a mandate to reduce overweight and increase physical activity in the population. Canadian data suggests a 10% decrease in sedentary behaviour would result in health savings of $150 million per year. Therefore this is crucial that public health decision makers and health departments are equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and capacity to incorporate the best evidence on what works in promoting healthy lifestyles into policy and practice. Currenty we know there are significant gaps in the use of evidence in public health decision making, and that knowledge, skills and capacity to use evidence are lacking in public health settings. The goal of this research is to work collaboratively with health departments to enhance capacity for evidence-informed decision making. The knowledge gained from this study will be useful for several audiences including health departments; public health organizations (e.g. Public Health Agency of Canada); research fundings, and other health care professionals and settings.