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| Public Health | A multidisciplinary field that focuses on the health and well-being of communities and populations through organized efforts to prevent disease and promote health. |
| Population Health | A broader approach that includes public health and healthcare but also examines the conditions in which people live and work, including the social determinants of health. |
| Health Education | A public health activity that provides people and communities with information to support healthier choices and disease prevention. |
| Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles | A public health activity focused on encouraging behaviours that support health, such as physical activity, healthy eating, and tobacco reduction. |
| Disease Prevention | Public health efforts designed to reduce the spread or impact of disease before illness occurs. |
| Injury Prevention | Public health work aimed at reducing preventable injuries through education, policy, safety measures, and community programs. |
| Health Disparities | Differences in health outcomes between groups, often linked to social, economic, environmental, or systemic factors. |
| Vaccination Campaigns | Public health initiatives designed to increase immunization rates and reduce the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases. |
| Public Health Emergencies | Events such as disease outbreaks or disasters that require organized public health responses to protect communities. |
| Tobacco Control | Public health initiatives designed to reduce tobacco use and exposure to tobacco-related harm. |
| Physical Activity Promotion | Public health programming that encourages movement and exercise to improve health outcomes. |
| Healthy Eating Programs | Public health initiatives that encourage nutritious eating habits and support prevention of chronic disease. |
| Social Media Public Health Campaigns | Public health campaigns delivered through social media platforms to share educational and preventive information with wider audiences. |
| Social Determinants of Health | The social, economic, and environmental conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that influence health outcomes. |
| Food Insecurity | Limited or unreliable access to nutritious food, which can negatively affect health and may require population health interventions. |
| Lalonde Report | A 1974 report published by National Health & Welfare that presented the idea that community health is influenced by lifestyle, environment, human biology, and healthcare organization. |
| National Health & Welfare | The federal department that published the Lalonde Report and is now known as Health Canada. |
| The 12 Determinants of Health | A framework describing major social, economic, environmental, biological, and cultural factors that influence health outcomes, formally recognized in a 1996 Report signed by the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Advisory Committee on Population Health |
| Income and Social Status | A determinant of health where higher income and social status are linked to better health, while larger income gaps are linked to greater health differences. |
| Social Support Networks | A determinant of health where support from family, friends, and communities helps people manage problems, adversity, and life circumstances. |
| Education and Literacy | A determinant of health that provides knowledge, problem-solving skills, job opportunities, income security, and the ability to balance work and personal life. |
| Employment and Working Conditions | A determinant of health where unemployment, underemployment, stressful work, unsafe work, and lack of benefits can contribute to poorer health. |
| Social Environment | A determinant of health connected to social connection, inclusion, support, and the ability to manage adversity. |
| Physical Environment | A determinant of health connected to housing quality, natural environments, air quality, water quality, and safe living conditions. |
| Personal Health Practices and Coping Skills | A determinant of health involving behaviours and coping strategies people use to prevent disease, promote self-care, manage challenges, and make health-supporting choices. |
| Healthy Child Development | A determinant of health influenced by prenatal and early-life factors, including eating well, being active, and getting enough rest after birth. |
| Biology and Genetic Endowment | A determinant of health involving genetics, biology, and inherited predispositions that affect health status and individual responses. |
| Health Services | A determinant of health involving access to services based on need; barriers can lead to unmet health needs. |
| Gender | A determinant of health connected to disease risks, healthcare access, health behaviours, gender identity, stigma, and service navigation. |
| Culture | A determinant of health involving values, help-seeking behaviours, communication, attitudes, politics, and social and historical perspectives that influence how people view and seek healthcare. |
| Holistic Health | A view of health that includes physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. |
| Current Challenges in Healthcare | Issues affecting the effectiveness and sustainability of healthcare, including an aging population, workforce shortages, mental health needs, digital infrastructure, and culturally appropriate care. |
| Aging Population | A healthcare challenge that increases demand for chronic disease management and long-term care services. |
| Chronic Disease Management | Ongoing care for long-term conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, which is increasingly important as the population ages. |
| Long-Term Care Services | Services supporting people who need ongoing care due to age, illness, disability, or declining physical or mental health. |
| Healthcare Professional Shortages | A challenge involving too few healthcare workers, especially in rural and northern regions, which affects timely access to care. |
| Rural and Northern Regions | Areas that may experience greater healthcare access challenges due to workforce shortages, distance, and fewer nearby services. |
| Mental Health Support Systems | Healthcare supports for mental health needs; inadequate supports can increase strain on emergency departments. |
| Digital Infrastructure | The technology systems needed to support modern healthcare delivery, communication, records, and access to care. |
| Culturally Appropriate Care | Care that respects a patient’s cultural background, identity, values, and community needs. |
| Indigenous Health | A healthcare topic focused on the health experiences, disparities, access barriers, and culturally appropriate care needs of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. |
| First Nations, Inuit, Métis | Three constitutionally recognized Indigenous peoples in Canada. |
| Colonialism | A historical and ongoing factor affecting Indigenous health, contributing to trauma, inequities, and mental health impacts. |
| Accessibility to Healthcare | The ability to obtain needed healthcare services; lack of nearby facilities can affect routine checkups, chronic disease care, mental health supports, and emergency services. |
| Discrimination in Healthcare | Unfair treatment that can lead to distrust of healthcare providers and discourage people from seeking care. |
| Sustainability in Canadian Healthcare | The challenge of maintaining quality healthcare over time despite financial pressures, population changes, workforce shortages, and rising costs. |
| Healthcare Cost | A sustainability challenge affected by an aging population, chronic disease, and expensive advances in medical technology and treatments. |
| Electronic Health Record (EHR) | A comprehensive digital version of a patient’s medical history managed by healthcare providers, including diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, immunizations, allergies, and test results. |
| Personal Health Record (PHR) | A digital health record managed by the individual that may include information such as blood sugar readings and physical activity and may be shared with providers. |
| Wait Times | A healthcare access challenge involving delays for surgeries, services, transfers, and long-term care placement. |
| COVID-19 Pandemic | A major event that dramatically increased wait times for surgeries (particularly elective procedures) and affected healthcare access and capacity; particularly the need for mental health support systems. |
| Workforce Shortages | A healthcare challenge that contributes to longer wait times and reduced access to services. |
| Home Care Workers | Workers who provide care in the home; increasing training for home care workers is one strategy for improving healthcare sustainability. |
| Families and Caregivers | People who provide support to patients and may require national strategies and resources to reduce strain and improve care. |
| Technological Improvements | Digital and technical changes that can improve accessibility, coordination, and efficiency in healthcare services. |
| National Drug Plan | A proposed federal strategy that could improve access to prescription medications across Canada. |
| Personal Support Workers | Workers who provide supportive care; they are currently unregulated, contributing to inconsistency across provinces. |
| Privately Funded Facilities | Healthcare facilities funded privately that may be expensive for patients or families. |
| Home Care | Care provided in a patient’s home that may help reduce healthcare costs and support patients outside hospitals or long-term care facilities. |
