Canadian Institute For Health Information - Databases

Databases

CIHI manages a number of Canadian health databases. These include:

Each CIHI database record is accompanied by Data Quality Documentation that considers coverage, collection and response, and general data limitations. This documentation is informed by the CIHI Data Quality Framework, which outlines a data quality work cycle, dimensions of data quality (Accuracy, Timliness, Comparability, Usability, Relevance), and guidelines for data quality assessment reports. Each database is also subject to a Privacy Impact Assessment.

Provincial database management

CIHI also plays a role in provincial database management. Although the Ontario Case Costing Initiative (OCCI) is a Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) database, it depends on “methodology... based on the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) MIS Guidelines”. CIHI also manages the Ontario Mental Health Reporting System (OMHRS), an Ontario exclusive database. Under the OMHRS, “hospitals collect and submit information to CIHI. CIHI collects and processes MDS-MH data and provides… outcome measures and quality indicators reports to the hospitals”. This provincial reporting system is “scalable designed for pan-Canadian usage and expansion… to other Canadian jurisdictions”.

Vendor licensing

CIHI furthermore provides vendor licensing for OMHRS and other databases; “vendors providing… data collection software to participating facilities must be licensed with CIHI”. These databases depend on CIHI’s Vendor Licensing Agreement. Vendors must renew their license annually.