Perinatal Services BC (formerly The BC Perinatal Health Program) administers the BC Perinatal Database Registry (BCPDR). Rollout of the BCPDR began in 1994, with collection of data from a small number of hospital sites. Participation increased every year, resulting in full provincial data collection commencing April 1, 2000.
Perinatal Services BC utilizes data within the BCPDR for internal clinical review and evaluation purposes in accordance with the Program's provincial and regional role. In addition, release of data from the BCPDR to external groups is governed by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) , particularly sections 33 and 35, and a Partnership Accord/Memorandum, signed by all contributors to the Registry, which details the permissions necessary for sharing aggregate data.
The BCPDR Data Access and Release Brochure can be accessed here
Any health care provider, individual, health program or research group interested in perinatal health may request data from Perinatal Services BC. Requesters should be prepared to describe the variables required, the type of data file needed and other pertinent details of the project (e.g. data linkage needs) when making a request.
A listing of all data elements in the BCPDR can be accessed here.
All requests for Perinatal Services BC data must be made in writing.
Before submitting a request, please consult other Perinatal Services BC publications, many of which are open-access, available to the public, and may already contain the data you are interested in obtaining.
Perinatal Services BC reserves the right to refuse a request if it is deemed inappropriate or in violation of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA).
Users of Perinatal Services BC must acknowledge the BC Perinatal Database Registry in all publications or presentations.
The submission and approval process, turnaround time for completion, and costs for data depends on the type of data request (e.g. purpose, level of aggregation, etc.) To determine the type of data you require, please consult the following:
You are a reseacher, student completing a project or thesis, preparing for an academic publication or presentation, and are interested in obtaining data Click here.
As part of your work with a recognized, legitimate health program in British Columbia you are responsible for an internal program evaluation and to do so, require data. Please go to www.bcrcp.ca to submit an electronic request for information.
You are interested in aggregated data tables (example: epidural rates by health authority, provincial preterm birth rates for the last five years). Please go to www.bcrcp.ca to submit an electronic request for information.
If you are unsure where your request fits, please consult this detailed flowchart (link) or contact BCPDR staff.
Aggregate Data Requests (Level 1 or Level 2)
Requests in this category are reviewed internally by the Manager or designate of the BCPDR. The purpose of the review is to ensure that the requester's question is fully understood and the request is appropriate. Turn-around time depends on the number of requests in the queue, the urgency of the request, and the level of approval required. Requested data at the level of Health Authority or smaller requires Data Steward Approval. Depending on the level of complexity and purpose, there may be a cost associated with this type of request. Any request that will require a fee will not proceed without a signed agreement from the requester agreeing to the estimate. Requests that are deemed to be inappropriate may be denied.
Requests in this category are submitted online at: www.bcrcp.ca
Data Requests for Research Projects
Requests in this category are reviewed by Perinatal Services BC Committee, which meets bi-monthly or as required. The meeting dates and deadlines for submission are outlined below. The purpose of review by the Committee is to review the overall purpose, structure and content of each Research Request and to determine whether that request is compliant with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Grant-funded researchers who will be requesting Perinatal Services BC data for research projects are asked to build in a retrieval fee to their budget submission. An estimate of the retrieval fee can be obtained from Perinatal Services BC for budget planning purposes. Once a request is approved, a signed contract outlining the time and cost estimate for the request will be established before proceeding.
Requests in this category are submitted via completion of the Perinatal Services BC Data Access Application Form, which can be viewed at www.perinatalservicesbc.ca Researchers are encouraged to contact Perinatal Services BC staff well in advance of the anticipated Research Committee Meeting if there are questions or to clarify the process. Requests to be processed at the Research Review Committee must be received a minimum of 7 days prior to the meeting (see below for meeting schedules).
Users of the data for research projects must acknowledge Perinatal Services BC in all publications or presentations. A copy of any manuscript using data from Perinatal Services BC should be forwarded to Perinatal Services BC prior to submission for publication. Any publications or presentations using individual level data, facility-specific data, or analyses that report cells containing fewer than five observations must be reviewed by Perinatal Services BC prior to submission.
Once a request has been approved and the data is ready to be released, the requester must sign a Data Users Contract before receiving the data.
Any researcher that requires a revision to an already approved request must complete and submit an Application for Revision. Deadlines for submission and review of this form are identical to that of the Committee meetings (see below).
2007/2008 Perinatal Services BC Research Committee Meeting Dates
(Tentative and subject to change - any changes will be updated to the website immediately)
