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The need for a national emergency health services database

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2015

Sherry Kennedy ,
Wendy Young ,
Michael J. Schull  and
Winston Isaac
Sherry Kennedy
Affiliation:
Ryerson University, Toronto, Ont.
Wendy Young*
Affiliation:
Ryerson University, Toronto, Ont. University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
Michael J. Schull
Affiliation:
University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), Toronto, Ont. Emergency and Critical Care Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont.
Winston Isaac
Affiliation:
Ryerson University, Toronto, Ont. University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
*
Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St., Toronto ON M5B 2K3; wyoung@ryerson.ca

Abstract

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Objective:

In February 2007, the Health Council of Canada, in its third annual report, emphasized the need for pan-Canadian data on our health care system. To date, no studies have examined the strengths and weaknesses of emergency health services (EHS) administrative databases, as perceived by researchers. We undertook a qualitative study to determine, from a researcher's perspective, the strengths and weaknesses of EHS administrative databases. The study also elicited researchers' suggestions to improve these databases.

Methods:

We conducted taped interviews with 4 Canadian health services researchers. The transcriptions were subsequently examined for common concepts, which were finalized after discussion with all the investigators.

Results:

Five common themes emerged from the interviews: clinical detail, data quality, data linkage, data use and population coverage. Data use and data linkages were considered strengths. Clinical detail, data quality and population coverage were considered weaknesses.

Conclusion:

The 5 themes that emerged from this study all serve to reinforce the call from the Health Council of Canada for national data on emergency services, which could be readily captured through a national EHS administrative database. We feel that key stakeholders involved in emergency services across Canada should work together to develop a strategy to implement an accurate, clinically detailed, integrated and comprehensive national EHS database.

Keywords

administrative dataemergency health servicesqualitative studyCanada
Type
Original Research • Recherche originale
Information
Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , March 2008 , pp. 120 - 124
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians 2008

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