Contested roles of Canada’s Chief Medical Officers of Health
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8899068 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Patrick Fafard (0000-0001-6234-3699, York University, corresponding author), Brittany McNena (York University), Agatha Suszek (University of Ottawa), Steven J Hoffman (0000-0002-2064-3711, Harvard Global Health Institute) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 109 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 585-589 |
| Publication date | 2018-06-12 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Canadian Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0008-4263 • E-ISSN: 1920-7476 |
| Publisher | Springer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.17269/s41997-018-0080-3 |
| PMID | 29981105 |
| OpenAlex | W2808196163 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 10 |
| References cited | 4 |
The roles and responsibilities of Canada's Chief Medical Officers of Health (CMOHs) are contested. On the one hand, they are senior public servants who confidentially advise government on public health matters and manage the implementation of government priorities. On the other hand, CMOHs are perceived as independent communicators and advocates for public health. This article analyzes public health legislation across Canada that governs the CMOH role. Our legal analysis reveals that the presence and degree of advisory, communication, and management roles for the CMOH vary considerably across the country. In many jurisdictions, the power and authority of the CMOH is not clearly defined in legislation. This creates great potential for confusion and conflict, particularly with respect to CMOHs' authority to act as public health advocates. We call on governments to clarify their preferences when it comes to the CMOH role and either amend the relevant statute or otherwise find ways to clarify the mandate of their CMOHs
Confusion · Government (linguistics · Legislation · Mandate · Political science · Power (physics · Public health · Public relations · Statute · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Law · Medicine · Primary Care and Health Outcomes · Psychology · Public Administration · Public Health Policies and Education
Policy advisory bodies during crises
Mobilization of science advice by the Canadian federal government to support the Covid-19 pandemic response
Centralization and integration of public health systems
Tensions and opportunities in the roles of senior public health officials in Canada
Enacting care by being experts and managing relationships
Vaccine hesitancy and respect for public health measures
Systematically omitting indoor air quality
Under the spotlight
Seen but not partisan
Out of an Abundance of Caution
| Unique citing works | 10 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2024 (4) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 9 |