Available Data
Available Data
HRDP-SK facilitates access to data from our data trustees. Currently there are six datasets in the HRDP-SK data repository:
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Prescriptions dispensed are recorded in the PDP database. The records specify the patient receiving the medication, as well as details about the drug dispensed (e.g., quantity, strength, prescriber, etc.)
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Most physicians in Canada are paid on a fee-for-service (FFS) basis. In the FFS system, physicians report (i.e., bill for) the services they provide to patients and are paid for those services by the provincial government based on an established fee schedule. In Saskatchewan, the Medical Services Plan (MSP) provides coverage to Saskatchewan residents for a variety of medical, optometric and dental services.
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The Discharge Abstract Database holds information related to a patient’s hospital stay. Every patient admitted to a hospital as an inpatient or a day-surgery patient has a record for that admission in the DAD.
Additional resources are for specific years. Care should be taken when looking at these codes over time as it evolves year over year.
Browser for ICD-10-CA and CCI Codes
Canadian Coding Standards can be found at the bottom of the page.
Key resources found under the DAD Data Elements tab includes a PDF of the most current DAD Data Elements and the DAD Abstracting Manual.
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The National Ambulatory Care Reporting System contains information about patients’ ambulatory care visits. It is managed by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and used across Canada. In Saskatchewan, it is only used to collect information about Emergency Department (ED) visits, however it is not used by all EDs in the province. For the EDs that do use it, there is a record for every emergency department visit.
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The Person Health Registry System is essentially the ‘health card database’. It is used to store information about Saskatchewan residents and their public health coverage.
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The Mental Health and Addictions Information System (MHAIS) began in 2017 and holds provincial, clinical, and line-level information related to the client’s Mental Health and Addictions care.
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The Saskatchewan Cancer Registry is a comprehensive database of all incidences of cancer diagnosed in Saskatchewan residents. The Saskatchewan Cancer Registry dataset is a subset of this database.
Postal Code Conversion File Plus (PCCF+)
The Postal Code Conversion File Plus (PCCF+) is a licensed geographic linkage file that enable researchers to associate Canadian postal codes with standard geographic areas for research and analysis. Researchers may request to use PCCF+ within the Secure Research Environment (SRE) after demonstrating appropriate authorization or licensure.
University of Saskatchewan-affiliated researchers can download the most current version of PCCF+ directly through the ODESI database.
PCCF+ Resources
The following resources are available to help researchers access and use the PCCF+:
USASK PCCF/PCCF+ Access Tutorial – A 3-minute video demonstrating how to download the current versions of the PCCF and PCCF+ through ODESI.
Guide to PCCF+ Usage in HRDP-SK – Guidance on using the PCCF+ within the HRDP-SK Secure Research Environment.
Historical Versions and Support
USASK Researchers requiring historical versions of the PCCF or PCCF+ (versions7 or earlier), or who experience difficulties accessing the current version through ODESI, should contact the Public Services Library Assistant at USASK for assistance.
Our project-specific data integration process allows researchers to include in their research, data that is not in HRDP-SK’s central repository. This project-specific data can be linked to HRDP-SK data for one-time research.
Examples of project-specific data are:
Patient-level survey or supplemental data
Patient-level cohort
Supplemental data (e.g., socio-economic, geographical, StatsCan)
First Nation/Indigenous data
Other organizations/departments (e.g., SCA, SGI, WCB)
If this type of data will be required for your research, you must complete the appropriate Project-Specific Data Integration Request (DIR) form and provide documentation of Ethics approval related to the dataset. You can find the forms in our Forms and Resources page under Stage 2. In addition, you must provide at least one of Copy of Consent, Documentation of Legislative Authority, or Agreement with Data Trustee depending on the source of the data; you can read more on how to meet this requirement here.
If you are unsure whether the data of interest falls under the project-specific data rules, consult with HRDP-SK.