Community-level health data: Health Profile

["Steele, Deborah" <deborah.steele@usask.ca>]

Statistics Canada is pleased to announce the release of the Health Profile Internet application, which accompanies the latest issue of Health Indicators (82-221), and both featuring latest data available from the 2008 Canadian Community Health Survey. This new Health Profile application is also part of a new Health in Canada module launched today on the Statistics Canada home page and designed to help users find health information from Statistics Canada. 

Health Statistics Division, in partnership with the Census Internet Development team, has developed the online product Health Profile. This Internet application, housed via the census web module, features community-level data from a number of sources, including Statistics Canada's health surveys, administrative data, and the Census of population. The application is designed to give quick access to the latest health-related data available for a selected health region, provides the corresponding provincial data by default, and users can easily select any region of choice for comparison. 

Health organizations, governments at all levels, health service providers and researchers will be able to use this information to:
§ find the latest health statistics available from a wide range of indicators for a specific region;
§ quickly compare with provincial or national rates, other jurisdictions, peer groups, etc.;
§ produce easy reports and profile the overall health of a community.
Other features include: option to see rates or counts; customize data selection; toggle to census Community profile data for the same area; view charts and maps; print-friendly format; and simple download options.
The Health Profile (Internet application) can be accessed through a variety of gateways. Users can access the application through the new Health in Canada module on the Statistics Canada home page – under ‘Features.’ Users can also enter through The Daily via the new products list or via the Statistics Canada home page, click on the ‘Census‘ button in the left-hand navigation bar and enter through the ‘Spotlight‘ link. A direct link is also available via a graphical logo listed under the ‘Features’ section on the census web module home page. 

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (613-951-1746: hd-ds@statcan.gc.ca), Health Statistics Division.