The Ontario Agency for Health Protection & Promotion (OAHPP) receives the Serving Ontario’s Citizens Award

The Background

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 was a catalyst for the development of the Ontario Public Health Laboratories System. There were 438 probable and suspected cases in Canada, the majority in Toronto; 44 people died, and approximately 25,000 residents of the greater Toronto were quarantined. The deficiencies in public health infrastructure and the limitations of existing information systems to provide fast access to detailed information became sorely evident, as extensively highlighted by the media. SARS also exemplified the dire need for public health to play a leadership role in analyzing risks and communicating them to Ontario citizens effectively. The Public Health Laboratories are the first and foremost providers of public health information, but there were challenges in coordinating the information for analysis due to the lack of a single integrated Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).

The System (LabWare LIMS)

The system provides a single integrated platform for collecting, testing and reporting public health laboratory specimen test results to health care providers across the province. The Public Health Laboratories receive specimen samples from clinicians, hospitals, private laboratories, and health units. Each sample is logged, tests are performed and results are reported to the submitter. These reports enable health care providers to diagnose and treat their patients effectively.

The system handles approximately four million tests per year for over 300 infectious and communicable diseases. The Public Health Laboratories receives over 8,000 specimen samples daily and process over 15,000 clinical tests daily.

The Impact

The system decreased the turn-around time for reporting test results to health care providers. In many cases, results are available within a day after the tests are completed. This leads to early detection and response in treating patients, and also effective allocation of hospital resources.

The improved availability and quality of information to internal and external stakeholders have been instrumental in the statistical analysis for determining trends of diseases and controlling outbreaks.

In addition, the information collected in the system allows the Public Health Laboratories to provide expertise on clinical microbiology and related public health issues through consultative, educational, and advisory services. While many of the health studies rely on the information in the system, it also ensures that the personal health information of Ontario citizens is stored securely and privately.

The system can potentially have an immediate and direct impact on every Ontario citizen, and also an impact on future generations.