BC SUPPORT Unit
Data consultations
We help teams use data to improve care. Our data services support health research and learning health systems projects.
Data services include support to:
- access and use data resources
- develop data management and analysis plans
- access, use and understand datasets in the Health Data Platform
- access and use the REDCap data management application
To book a consultation, contact bcsupportunit@healthresearchbc.ca.
Health Data Platform BC
Health Data Platform BC is a single, secure platform that provides access to health data from multiple organizations.
Who is it for?
People in government, health authorities and research can request access to data and bring their own data. The results from data analysis can help develop policy, evaluate programs, inform strategy, support academic research and more.
Is it secure?
People access data through a secure virtual desktop with industry-standard analytics tools. Each person has their own protected storage for imported project data.
The platform protects sensitive health data by controlling access, logging and monitoring desktop activity, and reviewing output.
How can I access it?
Access to Health Data Platform is project-based. Organizations access the platform through the Ministry of Health. Academic researchers access the Health Data Platform through PopData BC.
What data are available?
HDPBC contains administrative health datasets, including:
- ambulatory care (DAD)
- emergency care (NACRS)
- home care (HCRS)
- long-term care (CCRS)
- prescription medication (PharmaNet)
- physician billing (MSP)
- Clinical & Systems Transformation (CST)*
*Includes a new dataset, transformed from electronic health records using the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model.
These datasets can all be securely linked together to understand the patient care journey through the entire health system and beyond.
The Health Data Platform is a partnership between the Ministry of Health, Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the BC SUPPORT Unit.
REDCap
Health Research BC is sunsetting its instance of REDCap and will stop providing REDCap services in spring 2025.
Projects will be temporarily hosted by the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), who will work with teams to:
- assess their needs and safety transfer active projects to a new host institution where appropriate, and
- ensure the safe removal of data and documentation for projects that are completed.
New projects will no longer be accepted.
Find a REDCap instance near you
| Host institution | Contact |
|---|---|
| BCCHR | redcap@bcchr.ca |
| Interior Health | IMITPHAnalysts@interiorhealth.ca |
| Island Health | REDCap@islandhealth.ca |
| UBC ARC | redcap.support@ubc.ca |
| UBC Faculty of Medicine | fom.redcap@ubc.ca |
| University of Victoria | arcsupport@uvic.ca |
Check back for updates.
Questions and answers
Reach out to your organization’s research department for information about REDCap at your institution.
For more information about the REDCap transition, view our frequently-asked questions and answers.
Background
Since 2016, Health Research BC’s REDCap, an online application which allows teams to build and manage online surveys and databases, has hosted 264 projects from 101 users. The goal was to provide access to an instance of REDCap to teams who wouldn’t otherwise have access. At the time it was first made available, few other institutions had access to REDCap. Since then, REDCap had been rapidly adopted across the health system, and now most health authority and university teams can access it through their own institutions.
Data Access Support Hub
The Data Access Support Hub (DASH) is a one-stop data access service portal for researchers requiring multi-regional health and health-related administrative data in Canada.
Researchers interested in health data from across Canada can access DASH from Health Data Research Network Canada.