Derek Yee

The possibility of an influenza pandemic represents a significant threat requiring considerable planning in order to minimize illness, death and societal disruption. Public health departments are tasked with ensuring efficient and effective response for such an eventuality. The purpose of this study is to classify and characterize neighbourhoods in support of pandemic planning in Peel Region, Ontario. A multitude of factors were considered inclUding deprivation, infection control, communication, logistics and strategies for enhancing of surge capacity. Multivariate statistical techniques were employed to analyze a total of 76 socioeconomic, demographic and health data variables. The health data included emergency department visits and hospitalizations for conditions that pose a high risk for complications from influenza. The result was the classification of the population in Peel Region into 14 distinct clusters, which highlighted the socioeconomic gradient and differences in health outcomes. The development of this classification system demonstrates a method that facilitates targeted decision-making for health planning.