RAPP update
20 September 2023
RAPP is made up of three key streams of work, ethics, operations, and data access. The data access stream will be informed by Health Data Platform British Columbia’s (HDPBC) strategy that will enable a simplified, unified approval process for access to datasets that span multiple areas and organizations within the health sector.
The Health Data Platform British Columbia (HDPBC) will support research through a secure, cloud-based data research and analysis platform that provides:
- personalized, secure remote desktop environment for all data consumers;
- access to extensive, frequently refreshed health sector datasets and their metadata;
- secure data upload capabilities for data consumers and data contributors;
- leading tools to examine and analyze data and manage analysis code; and
- a human review of any output leaving the secure desktop.
Research studies that meet pre-approval requirements (the 5 Safes Model) may have access granted, and an individual analytic environment set up, within weeks of applying. To ensure privacy and security of data, all users of HDPBC can perform their analysis within the platform, using the secure remote desktop application with no data leaving the secure environment without review. The Five Safes model outlines how to protect data and reduce the risk of sensitive data being accessed or used inappropriately.
HDPBC has added BC Cancer Registry data to its growing collection now at 16 data sets. An additional 4 data sets (Perinatal, Immunization, Cardiac, Renal) will be available in the fall. Learn more at https://healthdataplatformbc.ca/ .
Learn more about the Research Approvals Processes Project here.
