Inventory of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Environmental and Occupational Health Data
Sources and Surveillance Activities

Inventory of Data Sources

Physician Asthma Management Survey (PAMS) (Health Canada)

Contact
Louise McRae
Analyst, Disease Intervention Division
Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control
Population and Public Health Branch
Health Canada
Tel: (613) 957-9429
Fax: (613) 954-8286
E-mail: Louise_McRae@hc-sc.gc.ca

Organization Maintaining the Database
Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Health Canada

Purpose of Database
To understand physician asthma management practices in Canada. The database stores data based on physician interviews to identify asthma management practices, to create baseline information on these practices, and to compare them with consensus guidelines.

Content
Self-reported survey data (provincial and regional) on physician asthma treatment and management practices; indoor air quality; legal drugs; information on avoidance of asthma triggers and on environmental control measures for asthma. Data types: clinical outcomes; epidemiological; risk factors (e.g., behavioural); treatment; physician specialty; geographic; demographic. Data elements: self-reported survey data on physician asthma management. Personal data: person-level data without identifiers. Geolocator: province (data are aggregated to region). There are approximately 2,180 records in the database.

Year Database Established
1996

Coverage Period
Late 1996 to early 1997

Data Updates
Not applicable (one-time survey)

Data Providers
Physicians (self-reported data), via a survey conducted by Price Waterhouse for the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, PPHB, Health Canada

Data Availability
The main users of the information in the database are staff in the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Health Canada. Access is restricted to CCDPC staff. However, there are no protocols or guidelines restricting use or disclosure of the data.

Reports
Data were reported in "Physician Asthma Management Practices in Canada: Report of a National Survey", as well as in various journal articles.

Additional Comments
The database been approved by a Provincial/Federal Privacy Commissioner. The person who is responsible for privacy, use and disclosure of the data: Louise McRae (see above)

Keywords for searches: asthma, management.