Other Organizations
An information-sharing agreement identifies the purpose of data sharing, the party's lawful authority to use, collect and/or disclose the information in question, a summary of required information, and a description of security measures that will be applied to protect the shared information.
An information-sharing agreement may authorize direct access to MOH data in the Healthideas data warehouse and/or for data extracts to be securely provided to the Third Party.
The process
1. Submit a data access request form to the Ministry of Health
A requester must first complete the Health Data Request (HDR) form (PDF, 613KB). When submitting the HDR form, the requester must attach associated databases checklists. If a requester intends to link external (non-MOH data) with MOH data, the checklists for that external data must also be submitted. These documents must be submitted to the ministry at the following email address: healthdatacentral@gov.bc.ca.
Requests involving linkages between MOH data and other organizations’ data may require a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA). Requesters are advised to consult their in-house privacy and security staff on whether or not to write a PIA prior to completing and submitting the actual HDR form to the ministry. Requesters are also advised to contact the ministry’s Data Management and Stewardship branch (DMS) prior to drafting a PIA in order to insure that the PIA aligns with the information-sharing agreement needed for the data sharing situation.
Completion of a HDR form takes time, planning, and attention to detail. A major obstacle to timely access to data is inadequate or incomplete applications. Requesters are advised to be meticulous in filling out the HDR form. When completing the HDR please consult the HDR completion instruction manual (available in the Documentation and Support Materials sidebar box)
2. In-depth review by the ministry
The ministry reviews the application for completeness, including provision of any supporting documentation (e.g., privacy impact assessments, security and threat risks assessments, service contracts, transfer under agreements, memoranda of understanding, business plans, and project charters).
If any issues are identified during the review, consultation with another program area or ministry may be required. For example:
- Ministry of Finance may be consulted for indemnity and/or intellectual property issues;
- Ministry of Attorney General may be consulted for legal issues;
- Contracts Management at the Ministry of Health may be consulted for information sharing situations which involve a service contract.
The ministry reviews applications to ensure appropriate use of data in accordance with statutes and policy. The review process may include follow-up discussion and clarification. Ministry staff then develop an agreement to document terms and conditions.
3. Sign-off on the agreement
The finalized agreement must then be signed off by all parties. Ministry staff will co-ordinate the signing.
4. Request access to the Healthideas data warehouse (if applicable)
Third Party users may request access to the Healthideas data warehouse. Learn more here.
5. Await the ministry's data preparation and delivery (if applicable)
The parties begin data preparation according to terms and conditions set out in the agreement. Approved data set(s) are then transferred securely to the appropriate party.
6. Request amendments to the information-sharing agreement (if applicable)
An applicant may decide to request one or more amendments to the project. Some examples for amendment requests include: data retention extension, additional years of data, and additional data files/fields.
For all amendments, the ministry staff will assist researchers in the amendment application process. The amendment application form is available in the Related Forms sidebar box.
7. Submit analysis outputs to the ministry
All outcomes of data analysis intended for public dissemination must be submitted to the ministry for review and comment prior to release. The ministry will provide feedback/comment within 45 business days of submission.
Information on how to submit materials for review is available in the Related Forms sidebar box.
8. Ensure project closure compliance
Upon completion of the analysis, the requester(s) must ensure data destruction compliance and ensure necessary project closure documents are completed and submitted to the ministry.
Information on the project closure compliance and process is available in the Related Forms sidebar box.
If at any time after the HDR form has been submitted to the ministry and before data has been released, the applicant decides abandon the project, a Project Closure (Declaration of Project Withdrawal) form (available in the Related Forms sidebar box) should be submitted to healthdatacentral@gov.bc.ca.
