Explore the IDEA Unlearning Club Curriculum HDRN Canada’s IDEA Unlearning Club Curriculum is a free resource exploring how systemic oppression, racism and privilege shape health data. It was designed to help researchers and data professionals recognize inequities in the data lifecycle and identify ways to embed inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility into data practices. | | HDRN Canada PAC & Health Literacy Month Who can access your health information? How is it protected? And what rights do you have to information about your own health? For Health Literacy Month this October, HDRN Canada’s Public Advisory Council is exploring why health data literacy matters. Follow #HDRNCanadaPAC on LinkedIn as we unpack the basics. | | Annoucing new Big IDEAs About Health Data ineup! HDRN Canada's Big IDEAs About Health Data is back! We’re excited to announce the 2026–2027 lineup for this thought-provoking speaker series—now in its fourth year.The new lineup features leading voices from research, policy and health care to explore big questions about administrative health data, equity, Indigenous data and AI. | | Save the Date! OHDSI Canada Symposium We’re excited to announce the 2026 OHDSI Canada Symposium, bringing together the growing Canadian OHDSI community working with the OMOP CDM to advance observational health research. The in-person event will feature hands-on workshops, knowledge exchange and collaboration opportunities. Register today! | | | | Unlocking a Modern Data Goldmine SEPTEMBER 22 | Virtual How can electronic medical record (EMR) data improve primary care? This webinar, hosted by the Canadian Primary Care Research Network explores how EMR data are being used to understand health outcomes, improve services and support decision-making. Hear examples from the Alliance for Healthier Communities and Quebec’s Advanced Access project, connecting real-time data with quality improvement and better access to care. REGISTER | | | | Understanding Indigenous Population Data | SEPTEMBER 22 | Virtual With 1.8 million people self-reporting Indigenous identity in the 2021 Census, accurately disaggregating Indigenous populations requires appropriate quantitative methodological tools. Join us for our next Big IDEAs About Health Data webinar, Quantifiable Indigenous Concepts with Kienan Williams, to learn how Indigenous identity is captured and analyzed, and how to bring greater meaning to Indigenous population data. REGISTER | | | | | Supporting Healthy Aging through Data OCTOBER 21 | Virtual What if data could help identify where older adults are already aging together—and guide better services and supports? Our next HDRN Canada Discussion Session features Tai Huynh and Dr. Shoshana Hahn-Goldberg discussing their research on naturally occurring retirement communities. Learn how Ontario’s NORC Registry is informing health system planning and how linking it with health administrative data can support older adults in the communities they call home. REGISTER | | | | Pathways to AI for Indigenous Peoples ASYNCHRONOUS | Virtual What are the ethical boundaries of AI and how can Indigenous Peoples protect sacred knowledge and recognize risks like bias, hallucinations and data misuse? Pathways to AI is a free, 90-minute online course designed for Indigenous people and Indigenous-serving organizations to learn how AI works, where it can support Indigenous-led work, and key considerations including data sovereignty, OCAP® and accountability to community and land. REGISTER | | | Tracking IDEA across HDRN Canada A new paper published in the International Journal of Population Data Science examines how the principles of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) are being implemented across HDRN Canada. Co-authored by Dr. Amy Freier, it identifies opportunities to strengthen IDEA in both organizational practice and data research. | | Learning from Europe's Health Data Space As Canada advances health data access and use, can we learn lessons from the European Health Data Space? A recent publication in the Canadian Journal of Public Health, co-authored by HDRN Canada CEO Dr. Kim McGrail, highlights the importance of public value, accountability and community rights in the governance of health data. | | News from Across the Network | Emergency Department pressures across Canada A new report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information used pan-Canadian data to examine emergency department capacity across Canada. It highlights rising wait times and challenges, including overcrowding and staffing shortages, which are connected to access and capacity. | | New data access award for early-career researchers The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging has launched the Dr. Susan Kirkland Early Career Researcher Data Access Award. The one-time waiver of data access fees for an emerging researcher studying aging supports research on healthy aging, women’s health, chronic disease and health equity. Apply by October 7. | | Introducing Data Connect Australia! After 16 years supporting data linkage and research infrastructure in Australia, the Population Health Research Network has changed its name to Data Connect Australia. The new name reflects its expanded role connecting data, researchers, institutions and jurisdictions while maintaining its longstanding commitment to trusted data linkage. | | Connecting library data to community outcomes A new DataNB study links library checkout records with health, census, education and immigration data to explore how library use relates to outcomes. Findings show that families with children and recent immigrants are among the most active borrowers, while children in library-using households show stronger academic outcomes. | | More than one-quarter of Quebecers are caregivers New data from the Institut de la Statistique du Québec show that 27% of Quebecers aged 15 and older—about 2.1 million people—are informal caregivers. Most are employed (59%), with 61% providing one to four hours of care weekly. Caregivers living with care receivers report poorer overall and mental health than those living separately. | | | | Accessing Data through HDRN Canada Data Services Check out the recording of our recent webinar to learn how HDRN Canada can support your multi-regional research project, providing end-to-end support, helping you design your study, navigate data access processes and complete your analysis. Whether you're assessing data availability, seeking approvals or exploring federated analysis, HDRN Canada offers practical support and expert guidance throughout the research lifecycle WATCH | | | | In Our VoICES: The Value of Data in Dementia How can data and community partners work together to shape the future of dementia care? In this episode of In Our VoICES, ICES’ Dr. Susan Bronskill and the Alzheimer Society of Ontario’s Christina Stergio-Dayment discuss how partnerships, data analytics and community-based data are improving support for people living with dementia and their care partners while informing the future of dementia care across Ontario and Canada. LISTEN | | | | | | |
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