Aggregate
Summary provincial and sub-provincial data (e.g. total births, total cesarean sections, etc.) do not include personal information or potential identifiers based on combination of variables and pose no potential harm to groups or individuals.
Requested aggregate data are typically used for quality improvement, evaluation, or planning purposes by health authorities and other governmental agencies. In cases where aggregate data are requested for research purposes, such requests will be reviewed by the PSBC Research Review Committee.
Turnaround time is dependent on available staff resources, so please submit requests with as much advance notice as possible. In circumstances where the request is time sensitive, PSBC will try to accommodate if resources are available.
Aggregate data will not be released if any risk of re-identification of an individual (e.g., small cell sizes, small geographic areas) is perceived by PSBC or if release is not authorized by a health authority(ies). Counts between one and four and rates based on numerators between one and four are not typically disclosed.
Before submitting your request, please check the Indicators Index to see if the data you want are already published on our website. If they aren't, then proceed by reading the following:
- Use the data only for the purpose for which you requested it. Subsequent uses of the received data must be approved by PSBC.
- Do not use the aggregate information either alone or with other information to attempt to identify an individual, including attempting to decrypt information that is encrypted, attempting to identify an individual based on unencrypted information, and attempting to identify an individual based on prior knowledge.
- Keep the data in a secure location – the data should not be kept on a laptop or memory stick unless it is encrypted.
All outputs using approved aggregate data must be submitted for review to PSBC prior to public disclosure. This includes but is not limited to:
- conference abstracts;
- presentation of research materials (posters, seminars, lectures, etc.);
- journal publication;
- academic thesis or dissertation material;
- instructional use (examples in lectures and/or lab exercises, etc.);
- article or op-ed for general public release (newspaper/magazine/social media sites);
- interview (radio, television, internet, etc.); and
- external reports.
PSBC commits to review within 14 calendar days. Users are eligible to proceed with public disclosure if there is no response within the given time frame with the following parameters:
- Cite Perinatal Services BC - Perinatal Data Registry as the source of the data on any document where you use the data (i.e. written documents, PowerPoint slides, Excel spreadsheet, etc.) using the following format:
Perinatal Services BC. British Columbia Perinatal Data Registry. Years Provided: (YYYY to YYYY). Resource Type: (Extract or tabulated data). Data Provided on (YYYY).
- The following disclaimer must be used when disseminating or publishing any output based on aggregate data received from PSBC:
“All inferences, opinions, and conclusions drawn in this publication are those of the authors, and do not reflect the opinions or policies of Perinatal Services BC.”
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your data request, please contact us at psbc@phsa.ca. We will acknowledge your request within two to three (2-3) business days, at which time an estimated turnaround time will be provided.
Use the button below to submit your data request online.
Data Request Form
