Background: Across Canadian health systems, there is considerable variation in the degree to which climate change is understood as a health issue and the breadth of relevant policies and programs. Understanding the current state of these policies and programs requires a method that enables rapid and efficient searching and collation of information, much of which is likely unpublished. The environmental scan method, based on formulating a transparent and reproducible search strategy, conducting screening and inclusion/exclusion according to predefined criteria, carrying out systematized data extraction, and conducting appropriate analysis of findings, is well suited for this need.
Objectives: 1) Present the results of an environmental scan across Canadian organizations directly responsible for public health and healthcare. 2) Discuss the strengths of the environmental scan method for rapidly collecting information from a range of sources.
Methods: The stages will be as follows: 1) Websites of relevant organizations will be searched, using a web-scraping app, to identify individual webpages presenting information on climate-relevant activity within those organizations. Included webpages will contain a description of climate-related activity within the organization. 2) LinkedIn is a social media channel focused on professional networking and career development. It will be searched for people working at Canadian health ministries, health authorities, and hospitals who describe their current position as being related to climate change. Position information will be extracted. 3) Results will be charted in a standardized form. 4) A narrative report will be produced summarizing the extracted data, including presentation of geographic locations, types of positions, organizational types, and/or sectors with more or less climate change–related activity.
Results: The full results will be presented at the Colloquium, along with conclusions about the strengths and limitations of the environmental scanning method.
Conclusions: Environmental scanning is a developing type of evidence synthesis. Case studies of where this approach has been used and how it has been applied will be useful for strengthening guidance and building further understanding of the research questions for which it is best suited.
Patient, public and/or healthcare consumer involvement: No direct involvement.