Grant: Operating Grant: Health Systems Research on H1N1

With the rapid spread of novel H1N1Influenza A in the current pandemic governments and public health agencies were forced to quickly implement guidelines for the care of patients with this illness and control of outbreaks in communities. As new information, such as patients most at risk became available these guidelines were revised. As a result, in different parts of Canada there were different guidelines in place at various stages of the pandemic. Early on in the pandemic, several countries, including Canada, noted that aborigial people appeared to be affected at higher that expected rates. This study will examine the effect that different types of advice on issues such as use of antiviral medication, school closures or event cancellations, and testing and isolotion of suspected patients had on outcomes like hospitalization, critical illness and death in patients from designated aborignal communities(reserves).