Data Librarian
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Searching for Health Data
This page features Open Data Portals focusing on health data in Canada. Open health data can be difficult to find as it often requires additional levels of protection and suppression in order to protect the confidentiality of patients. In general, open health data will have:
- Broader geographic coverage - Provincial, census metropolitan areas, or health authority are the usual geographic boundaries,
- Focus on more common health events and issues including the 80 Health Indicators.
It is difficult to find open data on:
- Rare health conditions,
- Clustered health events.
In some cases data is available, but certain variables are suppressed or grouped to protect confidentiality. These may include:
- Age
- Race/ethnicity
- Gender
It is also important to know that more detailed health data is available through the Regina Research Data Centre. Researchers at the U of R can apply for access. Visit the Regina Research Data Centre page for more information.
Health Data Portals
- Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)CIHI provides data on multiple health topics including access and wait times, Indigenous health, patient experience, and health system performance.
- Public Health Agency of Canada Open DataFeatures data collected by the Public Health Agency of Canada including covid-19 data, influenza data, attitudinal data on HIV/AIDS and more.
- Health Canada Open DataFeatures data from Health Canada including licensed natural health products and recalls and safety alerts.
- Statistics Canada Health DataFeatures all Statistics Canada information under the Health subject.
- eHealth Saskatchewan Open DataLInks to all openly available health data released in Saskatchewan.
