Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care

Putting Prevention Into Practice

Created and supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care is an independent panel of health professionals who are volunteering their expertise in clinical preventive health care and guideline methodology to create guidelines for primary care practitioners along with related tools and resources that will help Canadians stay healthy.  This panel of experts meets three times each year to consider evidence on what has shown to prevent disease.  They use that evidence to create guidelines, practical tools and resources for both family doctors and other primary health care professionals to use with their patients and also for individual Canadians.

The Task Force is supported by the Prevention Guidelines Division in the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention Control that provides the scientific and technical support for the development of clinical practice guidelines. A university-based Evidence Review and Synthesis Centre has been established to undertake evidence reviews.  Under a Contribution Agreement with the University of Alberta, funding has been provided to enhance the dissemination of guidelines. In addition, the Task Force will work with other health professional groups and organizations to support the development of guidelines and tools to aid in the implementation of their recommendations.

Who will be interested in the work of the Task Force?
The primary target audience includes primary care health professionals (physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners). However, its work also impacts community and public health professionals (public health nurses, nutritionists), physician specialists, other health care and allied health professionals, policy makers, and Canadian citizens.

Membership
The membership of the Task Force includes a dynamic group of primary care and disease prevention experts from across Canada. This expert panel will consider the latest scientific evidence as the basis for the development of guidelines for prevention in primary care.

CTFPHC members are appointed by the Chief Public Health Officer as well as a representative from the College of Family Physicians of Canada for a term of three years based on established selection criteria. Individuals who are recognized nationally and internationally in their field of expertise, who bring significant experience and knowledge in the area of evidence review methodology, application of evidence to decision-making or policy making, critical appraisal of peer-reviewed literature, disease prevention and health promotion and expertise in methodology (eg. medical decision-making, clinical epidemiology, health economics) are encouraged to apply. Interested candidates are asked to send their resumes to info@canadiantaskforce.ca. For further information please contact Dr. Karen Grimsrud, Director Prevention Guidelines Division, Public Health Agency of Canada at karen.grimsrud@phac-aspc.gc.ca.

Contact Information