Tracking

Injury is a serious public health concern in Canada, with outcomes ranging from increased economic burden to disability and death.

Tracking, also known as health surveillance, is the continuous and systematic process of collection, analysis, and interpretation of descriptive information for monitoring health problems.

Information derived from the analysis of injury data in Canada supports the development of health promotion campaigns and legislation aimed at reducing injuries. Information gained from surveillance activities can be used in safety education, product recalls, manufacturing standards, and health policy. Surveillance can also identify high risk groups, detect clusters of events, provide clues into risks factors and causes of injury, provide historical information and raise questions that need to be addressed by more in-depth research.

What Information is Available?

Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada offer information on injury surveillance in Canada through the following sources:

•  Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP)
•  Injury and Surveillance Activities
•  Injury Surveillance On-Line
•  Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS)