Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Canada is a world leader in the use and analysis of electronic administrative health databases, which contain records of healthcare contacts, to measure health and use of health services. These databases are often used to describe people with chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. These databases are very powerful, because they comprehensively capture all health care use by individuals. However, these data are often of poor quality, which can affect the accuracy of healthcare measures. My research focuses on statistical models that can be used to describe the quality of the data. The aim of my research is to equip researchers with tools for choosing the best ways to measure chronic conditions in administrative data. I will be presenting my research at the International Health Data Linkage Network Conference in the United Kingdom; the Network is comprised of world leaders in the use of linked health databases to improve health.