What We Do

Arthritis Surveillance Program

The Arthritis Surveillance Program produces surveillance information and reports on arthritis in Canada. The Public Health Agency of Canada uses available databases that enable the tracking of arthritis and its impact on the Canadian population. Examples of such databases are: the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), the Discharge Abstract Database (DAD), the Canadian Joint Replacement Registry (CJRR), the Canadian Annual Mortality data, and the Participation and Activity Limitations Survey (PALS).

PHAC also collaborates with Provincial/Territorial partners to track arthritis in the population using provincial/territorial physician billing data. The Agency also has a number of projects that will contribute to the enhancement of existing data sources and the development of new data sources for the surveillance of arthritis.

Addressing the burden of arthritis requires coordinated and collaborative efforts among many organizations, such as governmental and public health agencies, not for profit organizations, Provincial and Territorial partners, academic researchers and health care professionals, and more importantly, people living with arthritis. These types of partnerships help to assure the needed comprehensive approach to arthritis.