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Frequently Asked Questions

ICES houses a vast, secure array of large, population-based databases that capture health-care system use over time and across Ontario, Canada. The ICES data repository includes health administrative datasets, demographic datasets, population-based surveys, disease registries, validated chronic condition cohorts, electronic medical records, and a growing number of other non-health administrative data. These record-level, coded data are linkable, encompassing over 30 years of health service interactions for over 21 million people eligible for publicly-funded health care in Ontario. Learn more. 

Yes, for a comprehensive list of data holdings, including detailed descriptions of individual variables and their values, visit the ICES Data Dictionary. 

As a Prescribed Entity under Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) and the Coroner’s Act, ICES has the authority to collect and use personal health information for specific purposes. Notably, PHIPA Section 45 provides Prescribed Entities with the authority to collect and use data to assist the government in the planning and management of the health system, and PHIPA section 44 provides Prescribed Entities with the authority to disclose data to third-party researchers. ICES’ Prescribed Entity status is subject to a formal review and renewal by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario every three years. In addition, ICES is bound by contracts, data sharing agreements, and research ethics standards. Learn more. 

ICES’ privacy obligations derive from several sources including federal and provincial laws, contracts, and research ethics standards. 
ICES is committed to protecting the information it collects. Learn more about ICES privacy policies.

You can access ICES data through the following avenues:

  • Become an ICES scientist; 
  • Become an ICES post-doctoral trainee, fellow or visiting scholar; 
  • Become an ICES student; 
  • Collaborate with an ICES scientist; or 
  • Access ICES Data & Analytics Services. 

Learn more about the avenues to access ICES data.   

ICES has a province-wide community of 300 scientists across seven sites in Ontario. As an ICES scientist, researchers are permitted to submit grants and carry out independent research using ICES data. ICES scientists are also given access to the ICES intranet, a primary source of extensive documentation for ICES data and analytics. ICES scientists are independent researchers who have a university academic appointment at the level of assistant professor or higher and have experience using ICES data to conduct health services research. Once appointed to the ICES Research Program that best fits their interests, ICES scientists become members of a network of health services researchers across Ontario. 

When the principal investigator is a non-ICES collaborating researcher, ICES trainee (i.e., graduate student), fellow, visiting scholar, or a probationary ICES scientist, a responsible ICES scientist (RIS) must be included as an investigator on their ICES project. An RIS is a full status ICES scientist (i.e., an ICES scientist who has passed their probationary stage) who participates fully in the research project and is recognized as the responsible party within ICES. An RIS is expected to attend project meetings, co-direct the analysis, and ensure that all ICES policies, procedures, and code of conduct are followed throughout the project. ICES scientists who are eligible to act as the RIS on ICES projects will indicate “Full Status” on their ICES profile on the ICES website.

ICES Western is currently enrolling for the ICES Faculty Scholars Program v2.0. The training program has been revised to provide greater flexibility and guidance tailored to each researcher’s needs and availability. 

ICES offers training opportunities for students accessing data as a part of their graduate program requirements, as well as post-doctoral trainees and fellows. 

There are over 300 ICES scientists across the province. Scientists affiliated with this group can be found on the ICES website.  Exploring scientist profiles may help you find an ICES scientist to collaborate with.  

A review of previous publications and reports arising from ICES data may also help identify an ICES scientist with expertise in your area of interest. This is a great way to discover types of data available, and methods used to address research questions. 

ICES projects must include a full status ICES scientist, referred to as the responsible ICES scientist (RIS). The RIS assumes responsibility for the project’s compliance with ICES policies, procedures, and code of conduct. ICES scientists who are eligible to act as the RIS on ICES projects will indicate “Full Status” on their ICES profile on the ICES website. All ICES scientists can be contacted via the contact form at the bottom of their profile.  

You can find a list of ICES Western related publications on the ICES website.  

The best way to confirm the feasibility of a potential project is to consult with an ICES scientist who has related content knowledge or experience using the appropriate data. Before reaching out to a scientist, we recommend that you review the ICES data dictionary, which is freely accessible and includes detailed descriptions of variables and their values for all ICES data holdings. Reviewing publications/reports related to your idea is also a great way to learn the types of data available and the methods used to address research questions. If you are an ICES scientist or collaborating with an ICES scientist, your Program Lead is also available to discuss new project ideas. 

ICES can support requests for feasibility data subject to certain restrictions. Examples of feasibility analyses include sample size estimates, incidence or prevalence measures, and data quality checks (e.g., evaluation of completeness, correctness, internal consistency, stability, or frequency). Feasibility data cannot be provided for the purposes of publication, evaluation of association or effect measures, or pilot research studies; and cannot include statistical modelling or multivariable analyses. The principal investigator for feasibility analyses must be an ICES scientist, and the analyses must not take longer than 10 hours to complete. 

If your feasibility analyses is beyond this scope, you are encouraged to initiate a new ICES project for your data requirements.

All ICES projects require the participation of a full status ICES scientist (i.e., the responsible ICES scientist or RIS). The principal investigator (PI), in consultation with the RIS (if the PI is a collaborating researcher) must submit the following project initiation documents to ICESWesternAdmin@ices.on.ca:

  • Project activation worksheet (PAW);
  • Privacy impact assessment (PIA); 
  • One-page proposal; and
  • Applicable supporting documentation (e.g., data agreements, REB application/approval, software/data approvals).

It is recommended that the PAW and one-page proposal be submitted as soon as project funding is confirmed. Once the PAW is approved ICES Finance will issue a unique project number (referred to as the TRIM number). 

Prior to dataset creation, a detailed study plan must be outlined in the DCP (dataset creation plan). At ICES Western we recommend developing your DCP in advance of PIA submission (along with supporting documentation) to minimize the need for multiple amendments. Your project dataset may only be initiated once ICES Privacy has approved the PIA and after your project team has approved the DCP.  

To request support for DCP development or submit your DCP for review/refinement, email: Theresa.FitzGerald@ices.on.ca 

Passive linkage with ICES data can enable long-term follow-up of a research cohort at a significantly lower cost than active participant follow-up. The ICES data repository captures most patient health encounters in Ontario, minimizing loss to follow-up. 

To link research data with ICES you will need to obtain Research Ethics Board (REB) approval. The application for approval should explicitly describe the intent to transfer data to ICES for linkage. As well, it is important to consider if the data linkage is intended to support a single study or multiple studies.

Sample language for inclusion in patient consent forms can be found on Western’s website. Objectives detailed in the REB application should align with objectives indicated in the ICES privacy impact assessment (PIA) form. 

The REB application and approval notice should be submitted with your PIA as a part of the ICES project initiation submission. Once the PIA is approved, an agreement between the researcher and ICES is established to govern the sharing of data. The data sharing agreement (DSA) must be executed before the data is transferred to ICES.  

A dataset creation plan (DCP) must be completed for each ICES project prior to the creation of project dataset(s). DCP creation is an iterative process, intended to communicate and document the myriad of decisions between members of the project team. The DCP provides comprehensive details for preparing the study datasets and carrying out the analyses. The DCP also ensures consistency with study objectives as listed on the approved privacy impact assessment (PIA).

DCPs must be completed before analysis begins, but revisions may be made as analyses are underway. If you are a collaborating researcher and not familiar with preparing a DCP, please consult with your responsible ICES scientist (RIS).

To request support from ICES Western research staff for the development of your DCP please email: Theresa.FitzGerald@ices.on.ca 

Please email ICESWesternAdmin@ices.on.ca to obtain the current ICES Western DCP template. 

ICES operates on a cost recovery basis, whereby projects are billed for use of ICES contracted services. The project activation worksheet (PAW) is the budget template used to estimate required resources such as personnel hours and other project fees (e.g., specialized software/data, storage on the research analytic environment, data integration). If you are a collaborating researcher, your responsible ICES scientist (RIS) may help estimate resources based on their previous experience conducting ICES projects.

Overall, costs will vary depending on the scope and complexity of the project. If support for development of the dataset creation plan (DCP) is requested, additional personnel hours will need to be added to the PAW. An ICES project involving support for DCP development, dataset creation and statistical analyses typically ranges from $30,000 – $45,000 (approximately 200-300 hours for a two-year project).

To apply for a grant using ICES resources (e.g., staff, data) you must identify a full status ICES scientist to participate as the responsible ICES scientist (RIS) and complete the ICES grant intake and feedback (GIF) form. If you are a collaborating researcher, you can obtain the GIF form from your RIS or the ICES Western Facility Administrator. 

The GIF form has three sections. At minimum, section one must be completed to provide notification of your application to ICES. Section two must be submitted at least one week in advance to obtain an ICES letter of support. Further, section three must be submitted at least three weeks in advance if ICES feedback is requested. 

The completed GIF form, along with proposal and ICES budget template, should be submitted to: ICESWesternAdmin@ices.on.ca 

If you are a collaborating researcher, please consult your RIS to estimate required resources and obtain boilerplate language:

  • About ICES; 
  • Overview of ICES sources;
  • ICES Data Integration Processes (if applicable); and
  • ICES contracted research and data services budget justification.

As a health-care decision maker or provider, you may be eligible for funding to support requests for research evidence through the Ministry of Health Applied Health Research Question (AHRQ) Program. An AHRQ is a question posed by a health system policymaker or provider to obtain research evidence to inform planning, policy and program development that will benefit the Ontario health system. ICES is one of several research centres funded by the Research, Analysis and Evaluation Branch of the Ministry of Health (MOH). As a health services research institute that holds Ontario administrative data, ICES is well positioned to provide research evidence to health care decision makers or knowledge users. 

Alternatively, if your organization has funding available, please contact ICESWesternAdmin@ices.on.ca to request a consultation with our team. If the data request is feasible, ICES Western staff and scientists can proceed with supporting analyses and preparing a report of summary results.

ICES Data & Analytic Services (DAS) is a branch of ICES that provides access to individual-level ICES data to answer a research question. DAS staff work with the researcher to design a research-ready data extract from the ICES data repository.

Key differences between DAS projects and projects conducted at ICES Western:

  • DAS projects do not require the participation of an ICES scientist; 
  • DAS projects require research ethics board (REB) approval;
  • Select data holdings are not available for DAS projects;
  • DAS provides access to highly risk-reduced data (e.g. birth year vs birth date, forward sortation area vs postal code, no ICES-specific identifiers or data variables)

To learn more about access, contact: das@ices.on.ca.

The Health Artificial Intelligence Data Analytics Platform (HAIDAP) is ICES’ high-performance computing environment. This platform is designed to support provincial data science initiatives using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, including projects using natural language processing (NLP). The space within the HAIDAP where ICES projects are conducted is referred to as the Data Safe Haven (DSH). For any inquiries about the ICES HAIDAP/DSH, please email: hpc@ices.on.ca.

The length of time it takes to complete an ICES project will depend on several factors including its complexity and any modifications to its scope or analytic plan. Dataset creation and analysis can be an iterative process, therefore the timeliness of the project team’s response to analytic inquiries along the way will also impact time to completion. 

Analysis for a typical ICES project, with a well-defined analytic plan (with no deviations), can be completed within six months from the time of analytic kick-off. Note, this does not account for the time to develop the dataset creation plan (DCP) or publish the research deliverable.

For current opportunities at ICES Western please visit ICES Careers. 

Our scientists are often seeking skilled communicators with a background in epidemiology and strong statistical programming skills. If you would like to submit your resume for future opportunities within our research community, email a resume and cover letter to: ICESWesternAdmin@ices.on.ca.