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About Health Analysis Division (HAD)

Our mandate is to provide high quality, relevant, and comprehensive information on the health status of the population and on the health care system. The information is designed for a broad audience that includes health professionals, researchers, policy-makers, educators, and students.

Publishing

HAD publishes Health Reports, a peer-reviewed and indexed journal of population health and health services research. The journal has a mandate to be a Canadian must-read source of health information and an editorial board made up of internationally known health sector scholars, headed up by a scientific editor.

HAD also publishes the Health Research Working Paper Series which includes: analytical work-in-progress; background documentation for specific research projects; lengthy reports intended for specific clients, and; compendiums of data tables. Publication in this series does not preclude publication of specific aspects of the work in a peer-reviewed journal.

HAD analysts are also frequently published in other scientific journals. An index of HAD analysts’ other publications is available here.

Areas of research and data sources

Our research program is rich and varied and has been undertaken to address current  health-related topics of importance to Canadians, including wait times and access to health care, social determinants of health, health-care outcomes, mental health, chronic disease and injury, and the health of vulnerable populations including Aboriginal peoples, seniors and children.

The research is based on Statistics Canada’s comprehensive suite of data on the health of Canadians and the functioning of the health system including:

• Vital Statistics Program (VS)
• Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)
• National Population Health Survey (NPHS)
• Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)
• Longitudinal Health and Administrative Data Initiative (LHAD)
• Canadian Cancer Registry (CCR)

HAD research is published through Health Reports and other peer-reviewed journals and partner organizations’ publications.  Our Multi-year Analytical Plan, 2008 – 2010 is available here.

Collaboration

HAD works closely with the Health Statistics and Physical Health Measures Divisions of Statistics Canada to contribute to analytical output and survey content development.

HAD analysts also offer advice, support and training to external data users.

A substantial component of HAD’s research program is undertaken in collaboration with partners in health ministries, health organizations and universities. Key partners include Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the Canadian Council on Learning, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, the Health Council of Canada, and the Canadian Population Health Initiative.

Microsimulation modeling

Statistics Canada is a world leader in the development of continuous time microsimulation models. Within HAD we develop and continue to expand the Population Health Model (POHEM), a microsimulation model of risk factors, disease incidence and prevalence, disease progression and population health outcomes.  POHEM can be applied to quantify and compare prevention-based and treatment-based approaches to reducing the burden of major chronic conditions in Canada, in terms of potential health gains and cost-effectiveness.