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Heat Smart

This timely and important study aims to bridge the gap between primary care and public health through HARS-aligned tailored digital engagement aimed at building patient resilience and reducing adverse health outcomes during extreme heat events.

Empowering Primary Care Providers to Safeguard Vulnerable Populations Against Extreme Heat

 

About the Heat Smart Initiative and the Canadian Primary Care Information Network (CPIN)

Extreme heat events are among the deadliest climate-related health threats in Canada, as evidenced by the 2021 heatwave that claimed over 600 lives in Western Canada. Most heat-related deaths occur indoors and are preventable with timely interventions. Vulnerable populations – including older adults, young children, people with chronic illnesses, individuals experiencing poverty or social isolation, and those taking medications that affect heat regulation – are disproportionately affected.

Primary care providers serve 88% of Canadians and are uniquely positioned to identify and support at-risk individuals.

The Heat Smart study is a 3-year initiative funded by Health Canada as part of their HeatADAPT program. The study aims to bridge the gap between primary care and the public health-led Heat Alert and Response Systems (HARS), enhancing community resilience before, during, and after heat events.

The study will examine whether patients receiving tailored digital health messages from their family physician or nurse practitioner change their behaviour to protect themselves from heat-related illness. The study will use a cluster randomized controlled trial design, where primary care patients will either receive messages on heat adaptation (the exposed group) or environmental health messages not related to heat (the control group).

The study will:

  • Assess risk: Analyze electronic medical records and patient surveys to identify vulnerable individuals.
  • Deliver tailored messages: Send personalized digital messages via email or text, offering heat safety advice and local resource information in English and French.
  • Issue early warning alerts: Notify at-risk patients of upcoming heat events, prompting action.
  • Evaluate impact: Use surveys and health data to measure effectiveness in reducing heat-related health impacts.

Short-term outcomes include increased awareness and preparedness among patients about heat-related health risks. Long-term goals involve scaling the intervention across Canada to reduce heat-related illnesses, enhance social connectedness, and decrease healthcare utilization.

How to learn more

If you would like to learn more about the Heat Smart study or learn about opportunities for involvement, please contact the research team at info@cpin-rcip.com, or the study’s principal investigator Dr. William Hogg at whogg@uOttawa.ca.

For questions regarding ethical aspects of this research, please contact the Montfort Hospital Research Ethics Board at 613-746-4621, ext. 2221, or by email at ethique@montfort.on.ca

Study Registration & Ethics
Montfort REB: 24-25-02-055
Bruyère REB: M16-25-029
ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT07024628

Project updates

Recruitment

  • 110 family physicians and nurse practitioners were recruited
    • 83 were recruited during phase 1 (spring 2025)
    • 27 were recruited during phase 2 (spring 2026)
  • ~16 000 patients joined the study (16% response rate)

Patient engagement

  • ~27 000 health promotion messages were sent during summer 2026
  • ~10 000 health promotion messages were sent during summer 2025

Data collection

  • Intake survey: ~16 000 responses

Presentations

  • Hogg et al. (October 3, 2026). Heat Smart: Empowering Primary Care Providers to Safeguard Vulnerable Populations Against Extreme Heat [Poster presentation]. University of Ottawa’s Department of Family Medicine (DFM) Retreat, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
  • Hogg et al. (November 22, 2025). Heat Smart: Empowering Primary Care Providers to Safeguard Vulnerable Populations Against Extreme Heat [Poster presentation]. NAPCRG, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
  • Hogg et al. (April 26, 2025). Heat Smart: Empowering Primary Care Providers to Safeguard Vulnerable Populations Against Extreme Heat [Poster presentation]. University of Ottawa’s Department of Family Medicine (DFM) Retreat, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
  • Hogg et al. (April 10, 2025). Heat Smart: Renforcer les soins primaires pour protéger les populations vulnérables contre la chaleur extrême [Poster presentation]. Journées Montfort, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
  • Chiarlitti and Rifai. (March 27, 2025). Heat Smart: Empowering Primary Care Providers to Safeguard Vulnerable Populations Against Extreme Heat [Oral presentation]. University of Ottawa’s Family Medicine Grand Rounds, Ottawa, ON, Canada.