Phase 2

pH1N1: Implications for Practice, Policy and Research

On Friday, 26th November, 2010, fifty healthcare professionals from across Ontario gathered in Toronto for a one day symposium to determine what healthcare providers believe are the most important issues, as they relate to the public healthcare system, arising during the locally managed response to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, as initiated by Ontario's Public Health Units (PHUs) across Ontario.

Symposium Research Questions

Prior to the symposium, participants were provided with the general topics and subject matter of the issues that arose during Phase-1 of the project. At the symposium, participants were asked to consider, respond to, and, as a group, reach consensus on their responses to this set research questions:

1. Mass Immunization Models - Components & Issues

   1. What are the characteristics of a good Mass Immunization Model?
   2. What should we do to improve our ability to respond the next time?

2. Influenza Assessment Centres

   1. What do we need to do differently to improve our ability to respond?
   2. Roles/Responsibilities: Who should take the lead?

3. Effective Partnerships - Public Health & Primary Care*

   1. What can Public Health or other government organizations do to facilitate partnerships and better engage Primary Care?
   2. What can medical organizations and local Primary Care do to better partner with and engage public health?
      * For this discussion, participants were reassigned to tables comprised of one of two groups: 'Public Health and Other Government Organization', who answered question (ii); or, 'Primary Care', who answered question (i).
4. Information and Research Needs
   1. What additional information do we need from research or other sources to develop a better response?

5. Individual Comments and Policy Suggestions

   1. What other things do we need to consider, do differently, or improve to develop a better overall response
      Note:  The purpose of this question was to provide participants with the opportunity to make comments and policy suggestions addressing areas that were not covered by the four previous categories.  Responses in this category did not go through the consensus and ranking process.