What benefits are there to contributing your patients’ data?
There are several benefits to joining the Eastern Ontario Network (EON):
- Your practice data will ensure that your patient population are represented in research used for guidelines on best practice for all family doctors.
- You can receive reports about quality indicators important to you, helping you to complete your QI processes more efficiently.
- Having each person's data included in the EON and CPCSSN databases helps ensure that the data is representative of the Canadian population. The more data included in the databases means a more accurate depiction of the health of all Canadians.
What is the data used for?
EMR data is extracted to create a database of high quality, de-identified health information to support better research and improve the diagnosis, treatment and care of Canadians with conditions such as diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease, as well as other conditions.
Data can also be used to help clinicians understand how their practice is performing, and to identify any areas for improvement.
A subset of the data that EON collects is sent to the Canadian Primary Care Surveillance Network (CPCSSN). This ensures that healthcare data from Eastern Ontario is represented in the national primary care database.
How can you inform your patients about the Eastern Ontario Network (EON)?
When you register with EON, we will share materials with you to help inform your patients about EON and what happens with their data. We will ask you to make sure that these materials are made available to your patients, including ensuring that they are visible in your waiting room and on your website.
Where is the data stored and is it safe?
The data is stored in a secure database at the Centre for Advanced Computing at Queen’s University. The data in the database is de-identified and is stored on an encrypted drive in a secure environment.
Access to EON/CPCSSN data is strictly limited to authorized personnel, such as the EON Data Analytics Manager or other authorized data analysts. All personnel with access to the database are required to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements. Access to the EON/CPCSSN database is restricted through password-protected and encrypted hard drives in computers located in a secure location, with additional physical safeguards with access to only those who have specific permission.
How is the data accessed and by whom?
Only researchers approved by EON can request fully de-identified data sets from EON with which to conduct research. The approved researcher can only access the specific data that is required for the research. Anyone who has been approved to access the data must sign a confidentiality agreement and a Non-Disclosure Agreement.
Who can I talk to for more information?
If you would like to get more information about EON and your patients' data, please do not hesitate to contact us:
EON Research Team
613-533-9303 ext. 73939 eon@queensu.ca
Dr. David Barber, EON Director, Centre for Studies in Primary care at Queen's University
613-533-6000 ext. 73934