Data Questions
What is Electronic Medical Record (EMR) data?
Practice-based learning and research networks (PBLRNs) are not-for-profit research networks that are usually based within a university. PBLRNs work with primary care practices to better understand and help improve care in Ontario. There are seven PBLRNs in Ontario; several have been collecting and analyzing primary care EMR data for well over a decade. These PBLRNs have come together to form POPLAR so that their work can be more efficient and impactful.
Why is Electronic Medical Record (EMR) data important?
Electronic Medical Record (EMR) data is a very rich source of information. When EMR data from many Ontarians is put together, it can help us understand and improve health care for people and communities across Ontario. The more data included in the database means the data will be more representative of the Ontario population and can provide a clearer picture of the health of Ontarians.
Many Ontario primary care providers have already joined their local PBLRN to make this possible. Any information that could identify the individual patients is removed through a process called de-identification.
What type of information will be collected?
Data that could be used to identify people, such as names, addresses, or birthdates, will be removed and will be stored separately and securely. The POPLAR data that will be used to answer research questions will never contain information that could identify the patient. POPLAR data can allow EMR records to be linked to other data, such as administrative data from many other sources; for example, hospital data. Currently, the data within a patient’s EMR at a family practice does not automatically link with hospital data.
What does "de-identified data"mean?
“De-identified” patient data is information taken from a medical record that has had all the “direct identifiers” removed.
“Direct identifiers” include name, full date of birth, address, and email address.
This means that the data no longer contains identifying information.
What will the data be used for?
Once there is POPLAR data it will be used to help improve our healthcare system in many ways. For example, it can help:
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Researchers find better ways for health care providers to diagnose, treat, and care for people with conditions such as diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease, as well as other conditions.
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Health care providers understand how well they are doing and find ways to improve.
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People who fund and manage the health system (how healthcare is managed across the province) understand what is working well and what could be better.
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Researchers, health care providers, and public health agencies keep track of different illnesses and how they spread.
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Researchers understand the different things that affect people’s health.
Where else will the data go?
POPLAR is part of a national organization called the Canadian Primary Care Surveillance Network (CPCSSN). POPLAR will send a subset of deidentified data to CPCSSN. Together, we can make sure that healthcare data from Ontario is represented in the national primary care database.
Once data is collected at POPLAR, it may also be used for clinical research and analysis of health problems that patients face. It can also also be used to provide feedback to your family doctor or nurse practitioner, where the information can be used to improve quality of care. Potentially, data may be used under the direction of your family doctor or nurse practitioner to inform you about research studies that may be of interest to you; patient participation in any study is always voluntary.
Data in POPLAR will never be sold.