Survey of Needs for Health Data

Background

In 2007, the provincial government and the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) established the data services portal, <odesi>, with the purpose of providing universities and researchers with datasets from different sources under one “cyberspace roof”. Currently, <odesi> is a digital repository for social science data, including Canadian and international survey data, as well as Canadian polling data. It is a web-based data exploration, extraction and analysis tool that provides researchers the ability to search for survey questions (variables) across thousands of datasets held in a growing number of collections. <odesi> supports basic tabulation and analysis online in support for students, and allows for the downloading of most datasets into statistical software for more in-depth analysis. It provides easy access to extensive collections of social survey and polling data. Statistics Canada's public-use data, including the Census of Population, and many hundreds of surveys such as the Canadian Community Health Survey, form the core of <odesi>'s social survey data holdings. Additionally, <odesi> provides access to the Canadian Gallup, the Inter-university Consortium of Political and Social Research (ICPSR), Canadian Opinion Research Archive (CORA) and Ipsos Reid. <Odesi> can be beneficial to both the experienced and beginning researcher as it introduces undergraduates to data literacy and data discovery at an early stage in their careers and allows experienced researchers the ability to search across thousands of datasets and many collections.

Now the Ontario Government and OCUL would like to expand the data content in <odesi> to include health data. Various groups supporting health research have indicated the need to have as much geographic detail associated with health data as possible to facilitate research and teaching in areas ranging from community health, population health and epidemiology to spatial analysis and environmental studies among others. While the federal government provides students and researchers with survey data, such as the 100% Canadian Census of Population, with geographic detail, students and researchers do not have sufficient detailed health data (e.g. incidence of disease) to make meaningful
comparisons across similar geographic areas. Researchers and students will need access to 100% administrative health and registry data in order to carry out meaningful health-related analysis at a detailed level of geography (e.g. community level). Unfortunately, there are many potential health data sources which researchers and students are currently unable to access because of different provincial access policies.

This is where we need your help. Please complete our online Survey of Needs for Health Data by December 7, 2009. Your valuable input will help OCUL set priorities on types and sources of health data that should be sought for inclusion in <odesi>.


Thank you very much,

Geospatial and Health Informatics Cyber-infrastructure Portal – Collections Working Group: Neera Bhatnagar (McMaster - Health Library), Marcel Fortin (Toronto), Leanne Hindmarch (OCUL), Sandra Keys (Waterloo), Susan Mowers (Ottawa), supporting members, Faye Abrams (OCUL), Jenny Marvin (Guelph).