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Health data
We are the custodian of extensive, but not exhaustive, administrative data and information about the health system in Alberta. Data is available to support research, planning, policy development and quality improvement projects.
Online health information
Online health data available without request:
- Interactive Health Data Application – information on health status and determinants of health in both table and geographic map formats
- Open Government – publicly available datasets and publications
- Community profiles – broad range of demographic, socio-economic and population health statistics relevant to primary care for communities across the province
- Primary Care Network dashboard – broad range of demographic, socio-economic and population health statistics relevant to primary care across the province
- Alberta notifiable disease summary – annual summary highlights key findings on the incidence of communicable diseases in Alberta
- Respiratory virus dashboard – interactive aggregate data on respiratory-related cases in Alberta
- Substance use surveillance data – comprehensive and interactive tool for monitoring substance use in Alberta
- Alberta childhood immunization coverage – information on childhood coverage rates for all routine public health immunizations
- Alberta surgical initiative – information detailing completed surgeries and surgical wait times
- Sexually transmitted infections – provides a high-level overview of 4 notifiable sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis)
- Tick surveillance dashboard – summarizes data collected through the Alberta Submit-a-Tick program
- National health expenditures – provides a graphic view of health expenditures and other health indicators comparting Alberta with other jurisdictions
Additional sources
- Alberta SPOR SUPPORT Unit (AbSPORU) – provides expertise, training and resources to increase Alberta’s capacity for patient-oriented research
- Health System Access for Research – data from Acute Care Alberta can be made available under certain terms and conditions
Requests for data
Requests for administrative health data can be classified under 3 categories:
Research requests with research ethics board approval
Submit your request to [email protected] with the.
- completed Request Application form
- study protocol
- ethics documents – submission and approvals from a Research Ethics Board in Alberta
- required data sets and common data elements if known
Information requests for planning, policy development, and quality improvement
Submit your request to [email protected] with the:
- completed Request Application form
- project documentation, including purpose
- required data sets and common data elements if known
Internal requests and general inquiries
Submit your request to [email protected].
Resources
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- Health Information Act and Regulations
- HIA Guidelines and Practices Manual
- Overview of Administrative Health Datasets
- Commonly Requested Data Elements
- Schedule of Medical Benefits Current and Historical Codes and Descriptions
- Physician Specialty Codes and Standard Grouping
- Cohort Template
Data assets
Several administrative datasets are available to support health data requests. The Overview of Administrative Health Datasets provides details of these datasets.
Unless otherwise stated, data will be provided from the year 2002 on:
- Alberta Blue Cross Claims – data primarily on seniors
- Ambulatory Care – includes emergency department visits
- Inpatient – overnight hospital stays (DAD/hospital morbidity)
- Longitudinal Demographic Profile – demographics, service utilization, chronic diseases, costs
- Pharmaceutical Information Network (PIN) Dispenses from 2008 – community pharmacy dispenses (no financial information)
- Population Registry – basic demographic and geographic information
- Practitioner Claims – fee-for-service and shadow-billed claims
- Vital Statistics – Births from 2005 (Service Alberta authorization required)
- Vital Statistics – Deaths (Service Alberta authorization required)
Additional datasets
- diagnostic Imaging, from 2011, Acute Care Alberta delivered in-hospital diagnostic imaging (does not include images or results)
- immunizations and adverse reactions to immunization (Imm/ARI) (internal approval required)
- laboratory, common lab tests – data to be obtained from Acute Care Alberta
Alberta Continuing Care Information System (ACCIS) long term care data was previously available. Since 2021, facilities have transitioned away from submitting to ACCIS and instead submitted to Acute Care Alberta’s Connect Care.
The Commonly Requested Data Elements spreadsheet lists frequently requested data elements and their descriptions. Preliminary data specifications can be developed from this workbook that should be included in your request, along with the application form, to initiate the request.
Research request process
For a data request to be considered, the requested data must be available and the ministry will have received the following:
- all required documentation
- acceptance of the data specifications
- and the cohort if applicable
The research request process follows 5 primary steps from request receipt to data disclosure.
Cost estimate
We complete requests on a partial cost-recovery basis. Rates for data extractions are:
- $1,600 per day (8 hours)
- $200 flat fee – re-use agreement administration charge
Alberta Health will provide a cost estimate after the data specifications are accepted. If required, a high-level cost range can be provided earlier based on the years of data, datasets requested, and size of cohort.
Costs are for analytical time only and exclude meetings, communications and run-time.
Changes to the data specifications by the requester after acceptance may result in additional time and/or cost.
Data extracts for Research Ethics Board approved research for Alberta universities are provided at no charge.
Timeframe for extract
The time it takes to complete the request depends on several factors, including the complexity of the request and resource capacity as described in the request process.
Several of the data sources are created on an annual basis only and are not available until several months after the end of the fiscal, March 31, or calendar year.
Information request process
Data extracts for approved information requests are provided at no charge. The same process listed for research requests is followed, but modified based on the type of request.
Compete the Data Request Application form and send it along with relevant documentation to [email protected].
Data disclosure
Research data disclosures require a contractual tripartite research agreement between the researcher, their affiliated organization – usually their university – and Alberta’s government. The agreement outlines the restrictions on data retention and on the disclosure and use of information. Once the agreement has been fully executed, data are provided to the requester.
A letter indicating which section of the Health Information Act (HIA) the data is disclosed under, as well as any restrictions on use of the information, is sent to the requester.
Publications
Contact
For research ethics board-approved research requests, email: [email protected].
For general inquiries and health information requests, email: [email protected].