Grant: Operating Grant: Health Systems Research on H1N1

The Ontario Public Health Standards are guidelines provided by the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care for the provision of mandatory health programs and services. These standards establish requirements for public health programs and services. They also outline the responsibilities for boards of health which include the assessment, planning, delivery, management, and evaluation of public health programs and services. Infectious disease prevention and control including vaccine preventable diseases such as the flu are among these responsibilities. In the 2009 H1N1outbreak, Medical Officers of Health directed responses at the 36 Ontario Public Health Units (PHUs). Individual pandemic response plans were guided by both the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan and the Ontario Health Plan for an Influenza Pandemic. Development and implementation of individual plans involved different degrees of consultation and participation from key community partners such as primary care, acute care, long-term care and community care providers. Although guided by the Ontario and Canadian plans, individual PHU plans varied by key characteristics and were influenced by different external factors which affected outcomes which includes stakeholder perceptions. This study will document stakeholder perceptions and policy suggestion relating to 5 key characteristics of Ontario PHU Pandemic Influenza plans: i) resources, ii) planning and implementation, iii) vulnerable populations, iv) mass immunization, and v) collaboration with healthcare providers. Our study will consist of three main steps that build upon each other: 1) key informant interviews among community providers and the 36 PHUs; 2) a pan-Ontario symposium where experts reach consensus on key outcomes and policy suggestions; and 3) key informant interviews among experts in other provinces to validate or contrast the results of the symposium. Results will inform future pandemic planning, decision-making and implementation.