What we do

Our mission

Deep End Canada advocates for addressing health inequities in primary health care at individual, organizational, and policy levels through the collection and use of social determinants of health data and the sharing of ideas and projects.

Resources for implementing social data collection

As part of our mission to improve the collection and use of data on the social determinants of health in primary care across Canada, we have complied a range of supportive resources, including clinic posters and templates for messaging patients. We also created a Change Package to guide clinical, Quality Improvement, and other teams in primary health care in collecting and using social data.

SPARK Tool for social needs data collection

Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the SPARK Study Team based at Upstream Lab created the SPARK Tool, a set of standard questions to gather demographic and social needs data in primary care. Over the last ten years, this tool has been tested and improved in diverse healthcare settings. Email info@deependcanada.org to receive a copy of the tool.

Originally called the “Health Equity Questionnaire”, the SPARK Tool is the latest iteration of this work, and was tested in five clinics across five provinces with over 2,060 patients. Demographic questions include language, immigration status, Indigenous identity, race, ethnicity, disability, religion, sex at birth and gender identity, and sexual orientation. Social needs questions include education, income, medication access, housing status, social isolation, transportation, cost of utilities, and precarious employment. 

In the SPARK study, more than 96% of providers found the tool useful, and over 84% of patients had a positive experience using it. Regularly collecting demographic and social needs data is acceptable to patients and providers and promotes health equity.

Implementing social data collection still has challenges. SPARK Tool completion rates varied widely (from about 9% to 48%), and more support is needed to address social needs at individual, clinic, and policy levels.

SPARK Tool and Deep End Canada

We received support from the Canadian Primary Care Research Network (CPCRN) to expand the use of the SPARK Tool to 20-25 primary care sites across Canada. This expansion led to the creation of Deep End Canada, a growing coalition co-designed with diverse primary health care teams across Canada that serve patients in high-need areas. Our mission is to advocate for the collection and use of social determinants of health data to address health inequities in primary care at individual, organizational, and policy levels.

Types of members

To become a member of Deep End Canada, simply complete the membership form below.

  • Members of primary health care teams including health professionals, researchers, patient partners, and decision-makers are welcome to join Deep End Canada as representatives of their clinics. As a member, you will

    1. Share and learn from others interested in advancing health equity

    2. Advocate for collecting and using social determinants of health data within your organization

    3. Participate in facilitated meetings and coaching activities, and receive resources

    4. Receive updates on related research activities

  • Primary care practices, community pharmacies, nurse-practitioner-led clinics, and other primary health care teams involved in Deep End Canada will

    1. Receive support to collect demographic and social needs data from their patients (survey tool, materials, coaching, lessons learned)

    2. Meet with an implementation coach to interpret data and develop local interventions to address identified needs

    3. Share challenges and strategies with other sites across Canada during facilitated meetings

    4. Participate in advocacy for health equity in primary care and beyond

    5. Contribute to a developmental evaluation of Deep End Canada to learn from this network and prioritize future action on health equity