Table 2

Descriptive summary of the responses on the questions on the factors that would influence the physicians' data sharing practices.

Factors Influencing Sharing

Mean

Std. Dev.

B1

The data collector was a provincial ministry of health or agency rather than a municipal public health unit

4.4

1.3

B2

The data collector is Health Canada/Public Health Agency of Canada rather than a municipal public health unit

4.6

1.4

B3

The data will be linked with other administrative and clinical databases by the public health unit

4.2

1.4

B4

The disclosure of the data to the public health unit has been approved by a research ethics board

5.8

1.3

B5

The data will be appropriately de-identified before it is sent to the public health unit

5.8

1.6

B6

A commitment is made by the data collector not to share the data with any other third party

6

1.4

B7

The disclosure of the data to the public health unit is mandated by law

6.4

1.2

B8

The disclosure of the data is for a limited duration and will cease afterwards

5.7

1.3

B9

The public health unit informs the public (e.g., through their web site or newspaper advertisements) that this type of information will be collected from their family physician

5.1

1.5

B10

The disclosure of the information has been cleared/approved by the provincial college of physicians and surgeons

5.8

1.4

B11

The disclosure of the information is endorsed/supported by the CFPC and/or the provincial college of family physicians

5.8

1.4

B12

The public health unit will provide regular custom feedback reports to your practice about disease activity in your area and patient risk

5.7

1.2

B13

The data will be used for research purposes by the public health unit collecting the data (rather than just for public health surveillance)

5

1.4

B14

The disease being monitored is different (i.e., it is not influenza but say an STD or a chronic disease)

4.3

1.3

A score of 1 means "less willing to share data", a score of 7 means "more willing to share data" with public health, and a score of 4 means that the factor has no influence on their sharing decisions

El Emam et al. BMC Public Health 2011 11:454   doi:10.1186/1471-2458-11-454