Manitoba Centre for Health Policy

MCHP has developed and maintains a comprehensive, population-based data repository on behalf of the Government of Manitoba for use by local, national and international research communities.[3] The repository allows researchers to investigate the health, social and economic status of Manitobans, social determinants that influence health status and provision of appropriate health and social treatment and prevention services.[4]

The Centre focuses primarily on the provincial context, but knowledge gained through research at MCHP has frequently been applied at the national and international levels. MCHP shares this knowledge through workshops, conferences, symposiums and research papers and media outreach. Access to repository data is permitted to researchers outside of the Centre, nationally and internationally.[1][5][6][7] [8]

The diversity of research done at MCHP can be attributed to the large scope of data available in the population-based data repository. Historically, the primary focus has been on Manitobans’ health status and the social determinants of health.[9] However, the acquisition of social data into the repository in recent years has expanded the scope of research at MCHP to the well-being of Manitoban children, Metis and First Nations and the provision of appropriate, evidence-based services for these populations.[9][10]

Some examples of research topics arising from the repository include:

• acute and chronic diseases;
• inequities of health and healthcare use;
• use of nursing homes, primary care, hospital care, emergency departments, urgent and critical care;
• use of prescription drugs and alcohol;
• use of family services, income assistance, and social housing;
• cost of hospital care and smoking;
• educational outcomes; and
• evaluation of screening and prevention programs.[9]

Specifically, there are five research projects commissioned every year by Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living that are released publicly as reports. The Pathways to Health and Social Equity (PATHS) for Children research program is a five-year program comprising 15 inter-related projects that evaluate the impact of different interventions on the health and social outcomes of children in Manitoba.[11] Other research projects are led by research scientists and graduate students both within MCHP, as well as researchers outside of the institute.[1][12][13][14][15]

MCHP is the custodian of the Manitoba Population Research Data Repository, a large collection of person-level data about Manitoba residents that has been de-identified (anonymized) and can be linked.[4][16][17][18]

As of March 2016, there are 78 data files that are updated annually and a large number of additional data files that are brought in on a project-basis.[19] The repository can be accessed by authorized researchers, graduate students and data analysts at MCHP and at nine remote access sites located at the University of Manitoba (Bannatyne campus) and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.[20]

Most of these data are obtained from administrative data that are collected by MHSAL to help administer the universal healthcare system in Manitoba.[17] Data in the repository provide information relating to health and health services use (e.g., diagnoses, prescriptions, emergency department visits), social services (e.g., income assistance, social housing, involvement with the justice system), education (e.g., Early Development Index, high school graduation) and surveys (e.g., Canadian Community Health Survey).[17]

MCHP also maintains a public documentation library (data descriptions and concept dictionary) that provides consistent information about the data files in the repository and methods for using the data in population-based research.[17][21] Data descriptions provide information about the data file, relationships between data sets, data quality reports, and data dictionary with descriptive and statistical details about all data elements. The concept dictionary documents methods developed at MCHP for analyzing data in the repository, including project-specific approaches, suggested readings and references.[17] [21]

Users of data in the repository receive training about the privacy, confidentiality and security practices at MCHP. These practices protect the privacy of service providers (e.g., doctors) and users (e.g., patients) and prevent the destruction or inappropriate use of the data. All data in the repository are stripped of information that can be used to identify individuals. Published reports do not provide data that can be linked to an easily identifiable, small group of individuals. Data are protected by a high level of physical and virtual security at access locations. [22]

Knowledge translation (KT) at MCHP is based both on integrated (start-to-finish) and end-use (information sharing tailored to the target audience) approaches.[4]

Integrated KT at MCHP includes the participation of stakeholders in research teams, advisory groups or the Need To Know Team. End-use KT at MCHP includes the presentation of research findings at conferences, workshops and briefings.[4] MCHP holds several KT workshops every year that provide opportunities for knowledge translation and skills building for stakeholders.[19] These events include:

• MCHP-Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living Workshop;
• Need To Know Workshops;
• Regional Health Authorities Workshop; and
• Manitoba Government Workshop.

Other examples of end-use KT include sharing findings from published reports in mainstream media (TV, radio, web), social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) and academic journals.[1][5][10][23][24][25][26]

Since MCHP was founded in 1991, its core funding has been provided by five-year contracts with Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living (MHSAL), a department of the Government of Manitoba.[4] Additional grant-based funding supports the infrastructure, research and knowledge translation at MCHP.[4] Maintenance and expansion of the data repository was supported with Canada for Innovation (CFI) funding in 1999 and 2010.[4] The Need To Know Team, an ongoing knowledge translation project, was established with a Canadian Institutes for Health Research grant in 2001–2005.[4] CFI funding also helped to establish Remote Access Sites where researchers and data analysts outside of MCHP can access the data repository.[20]

MCHP staffs approximately 60 personnel including researchers, data managers, research managers, data analysts, research coordinators, research support, information technologists, communications officer, finance officers, graduate students and research assistants.[19]

MCHP collaborates with government departments and agencies which enables the maintenance and expansion of the data repository through data sharing agreements. Stakeholders that represent relevant government departments, government agencies, and service providers also participate as co-investigators or advisory group members.[19]

• University of Manitoba
• EvidenceNetwork.ca
• Research Manitoba
• Manitoba Health Research Council
• Canadian Institute for Health Information
• Canada Health Act
• CIHI
• Health care in Canada
• Knowledge translation
• Manitoba Health
• Metadata
• Social determinants of health

• Manitoba Centre for Health Policy
• EvidenceNetwork.ca
• Government of Manitoba website
• Personal Health Information Act (PHIA)