Diabetes Research Connect Launches

Diabetes Research Connect, a national, virtual data repository, has launched! The data repository, a collaboration between Diabetes Action Canada and the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN), aims to enhance diabetes research across Canada and foster partnerships with academic institutions, healthcare providers and patient groups.

By aggregating data from CPCSSN, Diabetes Research Connect provides a holistic view of diabetes trends and outcomes across the country and enables researchers to analyze a wealth of information, from patient demographics to treatment efficacy, helping to identify patterns and develop targeted interventions for better diabetes management.

“In Diabetes Research Connect, accredited researchers can access comprehensive de-identified primary care data from up to 1.8 million patients from coast to coast – the most access available through any repository in Canada,” says Conrad Pow, Senior Lead for Digital Health at Diabetes Action Canada. “With a goal to support transformative diabetes research and improve understanding of the healthcare landscape in Canada, this platform is an exciting new resource for data researchers.”

The data repository, which replaces Diabetes Action Canada’s National Diabetes Repository, allows researchers to access more data in a space where privacy and security remain paramount. All data is processed and transformed by CPCSSN, and ready for access through CPCSSN’s secure research environment (SRE) located at the Centre for Advanced Computing at Queen’s University. Access has been streamlined using a centralized intake system and researchers can apply and access data more efficiently.

Patient engagement and partnership remain at the core of the data repository, with those using the system required to co-design projects with patient partners to ensure relevance and impact. Patient partners also remain key decision makers on the committee overseeing Diabetes Research Connect.

This collaboration ensures long-term sustainability for diabetes research in Canada and gives data scientists the tools to better analyze information about people living with diabetes across Canada in order to improve health outcomes and prevent complications.

For more information or to apply to use the system, visit the site!

Questions? Contact Conrad Pow, Senior Lead, Digital Health, Diabetes Action Canada – CIHR SPOR Network: Conrad.Pow@nygh.on.ca