Quote Application Form
January 30, 2015
Health Data Nova Scotia (HDNS)
Dalhousie University
5790 University Avenue, Rm. 113
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3H 1V7
902- 494-2408
email: HDNS@dal.ca
HDNS.medicine.dal.ca
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Quote Application Form
HDNS
Researchers requiring a quote must complete the HDNS Quote Application form and submit along
with your research protocol to HDNS@dal.ca. Contained in this document, in summarized format,
is a listing of the datasets available at HDNS along with the broad types of information and variables
that are included in those datasets. HDNS has seven frequently used datasets that are utilized by
researchers, three are healthcare utilization related and the other four are population based. HDNS
also has the capacity to link projects using data from the Reproductive Care Program of Nova
Scotia, Cardiovascular Health Nova Scotia, Diabetes Care Program of Nova Scotia, Maritime Heart
Centre Database, Cancer Care Nova Scotia, the provincial Brain Trauma database and other sources.
Applicants are encouraged to contact Dr. Leslie Anne Campbell at (902) 494-2408 or
leslie.campbell@cdha.nshealth.ca should they have questions pertaining to this quote application.
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Quote Application Form
HDNS
Provincial Healthcare Utilization Databases
HDNS has three healthcare utilization databases.
Summaries of types of data variables in datasets
MSI Physician Billings
CIHI Hospital Discharge
Abstract Database
• Contains administrative
records for each health service
rendered by a physician and
paid for by the provincial
government.
• Utilizes ICD-9 diagnostic and
procedure coding (see side
note on following page).
• Includes approximately 35
variables
• Contains information on each
hospital admission recorded in
a Nova Scotia hospital.
• Includes day services and
surgery data
• Includes diagnoses and
procedures performed, types
of services, service transfers,
specialty services and
complexity of service.
• utilizes ICD-9 coding prior to
March 31st, 2001 and utilizes
ICD-10 coding from April 1st,
2001 onward, for diagnoses
and procedures.
• Includes approximately 601
variables
• Encrypted Patient MSI numbers
and Physician identifier numbers
• Date of Service
• Patient and Provider County
• Hospital Treatment Unit (e.g.
Detox, Emergency, Intensive Care,
Inpatient, Neonatal ICU etc.)
• Specialty of Provider (e.g.
Anatomical, Pathology, Cardiology,
Cardiovascular/Thoracic Surgery
etc.)
• Amount paid and amount approved
to be billed by the physician for the
service rendered.
• Types of proceduresperformed by
the physician (e.g. Bone Grafts,
Casts and Splints, Complete Care,
Consultation, Intensive/Critical
Care, Minor Surgery etc).
• Health diagnoses (1st, 2nd and 3rd),
coded using ICD-9 coding, of
patient given by physicians.
• Encrypted Patient MSI numbers
and Physician identifier numbers
• Date of admission/ separation
• Patient and Provider County
• Types of procedures (1 to 20),
coded using ICD-9 or 10 coding,
performed by the physician (e.g.
Bone Grafts, Casts and Splints,
Complete Care, Consultation,
Intensive/Critical Care, Minor
Surgery etc).
• Discharge diagnoses (1-20), coded
using ICD-9 or 10 coding, of
patient given by physicians.
• Institution or hospital
• Length of hospital stay
• Institution type
• Transfers to and from
Pharmacare Prescriptions
• Contains information on
prescriptions paid through
provincial prescription drug
programming (Seniors
Pharmacare, Community
Services Pharmacare, Diabetic
Assistance etc.)
• Utilizes the WHO, Anotomical
Therapeutic Chemical (ATC)
classification system and the
Drug Identification Number to
actogorize drugs.
• Quantity of drug dispensed
(dosage)
• Includes approximately 35
variables
• Encrypted Patient MSI numbers,
Physician identifier numbers,
Pharmacy and Provincial Medical
Board Numbers
• Drugs by Anatomic Therapeutic
Class and Drug Identification
Number (DIN).
• Prescription Date
• Drug Costs, amounts claimed,
approved, paid and dispensing
fees.
• Quantity of drug dispensed
• Provider type (e.g. Dentist, Nurse
Practitioner, Optometrist,
Physician Out of province)
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Health Data Nova Scotia
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Quote Application Form
HDNS
HDNS has four population based databases.
Insured Patient
Registry
Summary of types of data variables in datasets
• Contains longitudinal
information about
every individual
registered as a
benificiary of MSI in
Nova Scotia
• Includes
approximately 14
variables
• Encrypted patient MSI
numbers
• Date of birth of residents
• Residence postal code
• Gender
• Eligibility status
• Eligibility start/end date
• Program
• Termination status
(death, out of province,
ineligible etc.)
Patient Geography
• Provides Statistics
Canada Census
Information
• Can be used to
analyze patient
information based
with Postal Code
Conversion File+.
• Includes
approximately 46
variables
 Urban/rural status
 Average household
income
 Economic region
 District health authority
Licensed Provider
Registry
Vital Statistics
• Contains demographic
information on
prescriberswho are
registered and licensed
to practice in Nova
Scotia
• Includes
approximately 9
variables
• Contains information
on date and cause of
death of Nova Scotia
citizens.
• utilizes ICD-9
diagnostic coding to
identify causes of
death prior to
December 31st, 1999
and utilizes ICD 10
coding from January
1st 2000 and onward
• Includes
approximately 41
variables
• Encrypted physician
numbers
• Provider type
• Geographic region of
practice
• Educational background
(University,
specializations, year of
graduation, date of birth,
sex, etc.)
• Encrypted patient MSI
numbers and physician
identifier numbers
• Date of death
• Underlying causes of
death by ICD 9 or 10
codes.
• Birth province
• County where death
occurred
• County of residence
* Note on healthcare coding:
The diagnosis codes for ailments and injuries in the CIHI-DAD, MSI Physician Billings, Mental Health Outpatient Information System and the causes
of death for Vital statistics are coded through the international coding standard set by the World Health Organization. The International Classification
of Diseases (ICD) is the international standard diagnostic classification system used to identify diseases, illnesses and injuries. It is used to classify
diseases and other health problems recorded on many types of health and vital records including death certificates and health records. It enables the
storage and retrieval of diagnostic and procedural information for clinical, epidemiological and quality purposes. Most administrative databases
provincially utilize or have utilized the ICD 9 coding practices or the revised set of codes known as ICD 10. Procedure coding are also classified
according to ICD coding. Pharmacare datasets utilize the World Health Organizations, Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system
and the average dose of drugs (a.k.a. Drug Identification Number DIN) classification system to categorize drugs. Researchers are not expected to have
a listing of codes for this application. However it is advised that they familiarize themselves with health diagnosis and procedure coding by visiting the
following links:
http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/
http://icd9cm.chrisendres.com/
http://www.whocc.no/atcddd/
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Health Data Nova Scotia
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Quote Application Form
HDNS
Quote Application Form for Data and
Information Management Expertise
(*Please note there is a separate application for the Data Access Committee application process)
Date of Quote Application:________________________
Contact Information
Principal Investigator Name(s):
Position(Please state if student)
Organization
Co-investigator (s)
Position(Please state if student)
Organization
Main Mailing Address:
Main Telephone Contact:
Main Fax Contact:
Main E-mail contact:
Full Project Title:
Note: Please email the research summary and protocol along with this
completed form to HDNS@dal.ca. Questions may be directed to Dr. Leslie
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Quote Application Form
HDNS
Anne Campbell at 902-494-2408 or leslie.campbell@cdha.nshealth.ca
Research Requirements
1) Please provide HDNS with an overall ‘purpose statement’ for this project. In other words,
in as brief and concise terms as possible, why is this study being undertaken?
2) Briefly, what is your study design? (e.g., cohort, case-control, or nested case-control.)
3) What is your study population? (e.g., patients undergoing a specified procedure, with a
specific diagnosis, or residing in a specific geographic area.)
If yes please mark X if there is a single or multiple study population(s) of
interest:
‘X’
YES [ ] NO [ ]
Single
Multiple
[]
[]
How many?
4) Please provide in a few words a brief description of your study population(s). Please
number each population description if there are multiple. Please identify any case definitions
and/or inclusion or exclusion criteria used to create the population(s) (e.g. age, previous
diagnoses, days or months following hospitalization, etc.).
5) Will there be any need to create a control group or groups for your study population(s)?
If yes please state how that control group or groups will be created (e.g., matching
YES [ ] NO [ ] criteria, random sample, size etc.)?
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HDNS
6) Does the project involve linkage of any HDNS datasets with external data (e.g., survey,
research or clinical dataset, data from other provincial healthcare programs or government
services, and/or other sources)?
If yes please state where the external data comes from and explain how it could be
linked to any of HDNS datasets (e.g., through encrypted MSI patient numbers):
YES [ ] NO [ ]
7) Please mark X in the right hand column if the research will draw data from the following datasets
and identify the time span(s) of interest :
HDNS Datasets
‘X’
Start
End
Day/Month/Year
Example:
01/01/1999
Day/Month/Year
Example:
31/12/2005
[]
[]
[]
[]
[]
[]
[]
[]
MSI Physician Billings
CIHI DAD
Pharmacare Prescriptions
Insured Patient Registry
Patient Geography
Licensed Provider Registry
Vital Statistics
Other Please State:
8) Will the research examine specific diseases, illnesses or injuries?
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HDNS
If yes, please identify what disease(s) (e.g., breast cancer, motor vehicle
collisions etc.) will be required to:
YES [ ] NO [ ]
 create the study
population(s)
 examine co morbidities
of the study population
 conduct other analyses
9) Will the research be examining specific procedures performed by physicians in hospital or in another
environment?
If yes please list these procedures (e.g., low cervical
cesarean section, amputation of finger or thumb,
etc.):
YES [ ] NO [ ]
10) Please mark X in the right hand column if the proposed research would incorporate any of the
following types of research:
Research Type
Longitudinal research- (e.g. research that will study a population group over a set period of time,
normally to track the effect of some variable)
Cross sectional research- (e.g. a provincial prevalence study on a disease with descriptive statistics
at a single point in time)
Other
‘X’
[]
[]
[]
11) Will the research project require data to create a ‘denominator’? In other words, does the research
require additional data to calculate descriptive statistics (e.g., provincial rate of breast cancer) or to do
comparative analysis between your study population(s)?
If yes identify which:
YES [ ] NO [ ]
12) Please mark X if you require HDNS to provide any of the following deliverables:
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Quote Application Form
Services
Person level de-identified to be studied by
researcher at secure HDNS terminal
Aggregate data tables to be extracted by HDNS
to be analyzed by the researcher
The calculation of statistics by HDNS to be
incorporated into the overall research project
Designed graphs and charts by HDNS to be
incorporated into the overall research project
A written report with analysis provided by HDNS
HDNS
‘X’
[]
[]
Descriptive [ ]
Inferential
[]
[]
[]
13) Please describe any types of statistics, if any, which HDNS would be expected to conduct during the
course of this project.
14) Please list the deliverables/services/outcomes required from HDNS to successfully complete this
project (preferable in point form).
15) Are there any other issues that HDNS staff should be aware of pertaining to this study?
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Health Data Nova Scotia
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