HDRN Canada launches new centralized Data Access Request form for health research

Researchers who require access to administrative health data from multiple provinces will now be able to do so more easily, thanks to the new Data Access Request (DAR) form.

HDRN Canada’s Data Access Support Hub (DASH) serves as a one-stop shop for researchers, providing information on the availability of data assets, common algorithms, and data access processes across Canada, and offering centralized and coordinated data access support to researchers.

Since its launch in 2020, DASH has acted as a single intake point for researchers by coordinating initial project reviews. As part of this process, DASH staff confirms the eligibility and feasibility of the request and develops a cost estimate for the project.

The introduction of the new centralized DASH DAR form is a further significant improvement to the data access process by reducing the burden of completing multiple data access request forms for each province.  

Researchers can now request data from multiple regions through a single form, completed once through the DASH Portal. The DAR form collects all project information, requirements, and supporting documents needed for the project to be reviewed for approval in each region.

“The introduction of the new DASH DAR form is an important step to reducing the administrative burden on researchers looking to access data from multiple provinces. We are excited to make the data access process more streamlined for researchers,” said Juliana Wu, Chair of the DASH Working Group.

Further improvements to the DAR form are anticipated based on user experience feedback.

Researchers who are interested in how DASH services can support their research studies can visit the DASH website for more information.