Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit
Policy and Procedure Manual

The Simcoe County District Health Unit is committed to continuing excellence in public health programming. Both public health research and innovation contribute to the knowledge base on which we build our programs and services and ensure that we use the most effective and efficient methods to achieve our goals. Research and innovation are ongoing activities that occur within the health unit and with external partners on an ongoing basis.

For the purposes of this policy, research is defined as the systematic pursuit of new knowledge, or new interpretations, needed to understand social phenomena, to resolve a pressing problem or to provide an accounting of ongoing programs.

Public health research is directed towards the determinants of health, public health planning, program evaluation, policy analysis, or clinical procedures focusing on studies that seek to improve the health among residents of Simcoe County. A research project consists of a written plan/protocol that includes the following elements:

• A specific research question which gives rise to a clear statement of the aim of the research or a testable hypothesis
• Identification of a sample from a well defined target population
• A plan for the systematic collection, management and analysis of data

It is an expectation that program development incorporates ongoing needs assessment and evaluation. This process will confirm current methods, or lead to opportunities for innovation in programs where variations on current methods or new approaches to creatively address identified needs are introduced. Innovation involves the same components as research, but occurs in a more informal way and does not require adherence to the same rigorous standards applied to research. It often contributes to the knowledge base around "best practices" and is consistent with benchmarking in public health.

Program Managers, in consultation with the Service Area Director, will ensure that innovations to programming can reasonably be expected to achieve the intended goals and are designed in a manner that is consistent with the principles identified in this policy for a research project.

Through the Medical Officer of Health, Directors will inform the Board of Health of proposed research in which the health unit is involved. Research in which the health unit participates will be planned and conducted in accordance with:

• The mission statement, operating principles and strategic directions of the Simcoe County District Health Unit
• The standards set by the agency for data collection, analysis and interpretation
• The guidelines established by the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O., 1990
• The standards of research within professions and ethical standards which would include:

• The accurate presentation and interpretation of experimental data and other factual data
• Due acknowledgement of another’s work
• The appropriate use of resources supplied for research purposes
• An ethical review conducted by a panel approved by the Executive Committee, which should include a member of the community selected by the lead investigator and approved by Management Committee.

1. An ethical review is required when a project proposes to use client records or collection of personnel data from agency clients or staff. It includes the review of proposals, progress reports, rules for the preservation of data and audits in the form of progress reports.
2. The ethical review panel will consider whether the following criteria have been met in the research proposal and implementation of the research project:

1. An identified need for the research is established.
2. The research should do no harm to those studied.
3. Data will only be used for the purposes to which the participants gave consent.
4. Steps will be taken to protect the data and ensure the confidentiality and privacy of the information provided.
5. Participants in the study will be fully informed of its purpose, their role, the way in which the information gathered will be used, and steps that will be taken to ensure their privacy is protected.
6. Participation will be voluntary without coercion or inappropriate incentives to participate.

3. When health unit staff participate in research work in partnership with other agencies where the other partner is in the lead role, the staff member will ensure that the processes that are used are consistent with generally accepted research principles and those outlined in this policy.