Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System (CCDSS)

The Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System (CCDSS) is a network of provincial and territorial surveillance systems supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). To identify people with chronic diseases and conditions, provincial and territorial health insurance registry records are linked using a unique personal identifier to the corresponding physician billing claims, hospital discharge abstract records and prescription drug records. Key information about the CCDSS methods and case definitions can be found here: CCDSS summary of methods, CCDSS case definitions, CCDSS COVID-19 guidance for data users.

MedEffect Canada Vigilance Adverse Reaction Online Database

The Canada Vigilance Adverse Reaction Online Database contains information about suspected adverse reactions (also known as side effects) to health products.

Adverse reaction reports are submitted by:

• Consumers and health professionals, who submit reports voluntarily
• Manufacturers and distributors (also known as market authorization holders), who are required to submit reports according to the Food and Drugs Act

Read more about MedEffect Canada or about the Canada Vigilance Program.

ClinicalTrials.gov

ClinicalTrials.gov is an online database providing clinical research studies from over 200 countries to the public, researchers, and health care professionals. It relies on sponsors and investigators to submit and update study information and complies with laws and regulations requiring the public sharing of clinical trial data, including results. ClinicalTrials.gov launched in 2000 and was created as part of the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997. This law required the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to create a database of clinical trials that have an investigational new drug (IND) application to test investigational drugs for serious or life-threatening diseases. More information here.

Books & Research Papers on The Disparities

Armstrong, E. (2018). The gender gap in pharmaceutical research. Voices in Bioethics, 4. https://doi.org/10.7916/vib.v4i.6008

Oertelt-Prigione, S. (2024). Tackling biases in clinical trials to ensure diverse representation and effective outcomes. Nature Communications, 15, 1407. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45718-w

Peppin, P., & Mykitiuk, R. (2008). Gender equity in clinical trials in Canada: Aspiration or achievement?. IJFAB: International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics, 1(2), 100-124. https://doi.org/10.3138/ijfab.1.2.100

Perez, C. C. (2019). Invisible women: Data bias in a world designed for men. Abrams.

Regitz-Zagrosek, V., & Gebhard, C. (2023). Gender medicine: effects of sex and gender on cardiovascular disease manifestation and outcomes. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 20(4), 236-247. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41569-022-00797-4

Yakerson, A., & Lam, K. C. K. (2019). Women’s human rights and health equality in clinical trials in Canada. Canadian Woman Studies/Les Cahiers De La Femme, 33(1-2). Retrieved from https://cws.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/cws/article/view/37765

Wepages

From the Academy of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences (AAPS): A Look at Gender Representation in Clinical Trials for Students in Clinical Research Courses.

From the Government of Canada: Guidance Document: Considerations for Inclusion of Women in Clinical Trials and Analysis of Sex Differences

From Labiotech.eu: How to ensure gender diversity in clinical trials

Ways machine learning is being used to tackle disparities from healthcare-in-europe.com (HiE): Machine learning fixes gender bias in clinical trials