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Research with Health Administrative Data

Research with health administrative data involves the use of routinely collected information generated through healthcare system operations, such as physician billings, prescription claims, and registries. These data enable researchers to examine health service use, population health trends, care quality, and outcomes across large groups and over time. Because administrative data reflect real‑world healthcare delivery, this approach is particularly valuable for evaluating system‑level interventions, informing policy, and identifying disparities.

  • Presentation: Using health administrative data for primary care research – Dr. Michelle Howard and Shuaib Hafid, Research Knowledge and Skill Builder [Video | Slides]
  • Resource: Navigation Guide to Primary Care Data Sources – This guide introduces Canadian data sources for secondary analyses to answer research questions related to primary care.