Establishment of a national Canadian workplace exposure database: progress and challenges
本文介绍了加拿大工作场所暴露数据库（CWED）的建立过程，包括从15个监管辖区收集数据、整合现有数据库（如两个省级数据库和一个国家辐射数据库），并讨论了数据获取的挑战及未来扩展计划，对职业流行病学研究和暴露监测有重要价值。
<h3>Objectives</h3> Workplace exposure databases are important tools in epidemiologic research and have been established in several countries. With the exception of radiation, a national occupational database has not existed in Canada, in part because workplace regulation is fractioned into multiple federal and provincial jurisdictions. As part of the CAREX Canada project, measured exposure data is being centralized in a Canadian workplace exposure database (CWED). <h3>Methods</h3> Fifteen Canadian regulatory jurisdictions were contacted with open-ended survey questions pertaining to their existing occupational exposure data (number of records, storage format, retention), sampling practices (historical time frame, yearly rate), and regulatory practices. Data were requested from all jurisdictions. Temporal, geographical, and industry-based data gaps were identified; efforts to fill these are underway. <h3>Results</h3> Initially, two provincial databases (N=70 000 and 110 000 samples) and one national radiation exposure database (N=150 000) were obtained for integration into the CWED, providing a solid base for exposure estimates. Although obtaining data has been more complicated than predicted, CAREX Canada9s evolving partnerships with other Canadian jurisdictions will ensure that some existing gaps are filled. The CWED is anticipated to grow from its current size of 330 000 entries to 430 000 entries by 2013. <h3>Conclusions</h3> The CWED will be a useful stand-alone tool for exposure related questions. It will also be an excellent source of information for a variety of end-users in the areas of primary prevention, research, and exposure and disease surveillance. Examples of the CWED9s utility to epidemiologic research and challenges associated with its development will be discussed.