The data platform

One secure repository. Decades of linked data.

PRDS draws on a centralized, patient-level repository held on a secure server inside the Alberta Health Services firewall. It brings together administrative and clinical data from across the province — ready to be extracted, linked, and de-identified for approved research.

Inside the firewall

Patient-level data is stored and processed within the AHS security perimeter. Extractions never leave that governed environment until they're approved and de-identified.

Linked at the patient level

A person's hospital, ambulatory, pharmacy, lab, and registry records can be linked into a single longitudinal picture — the foundation of strong observational research.

Privacy by design

Access is bound to ethics approval, operational review, and Alberta's privacy legislation, with de-identification before any dataset is released.

Available data sources

13 provincial data sources, one linkable whole

Coverage dates below reflect the earliest research-ready records for each source. Additional datasets can often be arranged on request.

Live
DAD

Discharge Abstract Database

Acute-care inpatient hospitalizations across Alberta.

April 2002 – present
Live
NACRS

Nat'l Ambulatory Care Reporting

Ambulatory encounters — emergency, same-day surgery, and day procedures.

April 2002 – present
Live
EDIS

Emergency Dept. Information System

Emergency-department and ambulatory-care encounter detail.

April 2010 – present
Live
PIN

Pharmaceutical Information Network

Prescription drugs dispensed from most community pharmacies.

April 2008 – present
Live
Claims

Practitioner Claims

Provider claims paid under the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan.

April 1994 – present
Live
Lab

Laboratory

AHS general lab tests: chemistry, toxicology, hematology, serology, urinalysis, immunology.

April 2012 – present
Live
Registry

Provincial Registry

Health-coverage and mortality tracking for Alberta residents.

April 1994 – present
Live
Vital Stats

Vital Statistics

Death dates for Alberta residents, supporting survival and mortality analyses.

Jan 1999 – present
Live
DI

Diagnostic Imaging

Diagnostic images performed in AHS hospital-based facilities.

Jan 2011 – present
Live
ACCIS

Alberta Continuing Care Info System

Continuing-care stays: long-term care, designated supportive living, home living.

Jan 2012 – present
Live
Connect Care

Connect Care

Alberta's provincial electronic medical record, integrated for approved research.

Nov 2019 – present
Live
ADT

Admission Discharge Transfer

Patient transfers and location movements within hospital.

Feb 2020 – present
Live
COVID-19

COVID-19 (CDOM / ProvLab)

Testing and public-health assessment data for the pandemic period.

Feb 2020 – present

Don't see the dataset you need? This catalogue reflects commonly requested sources. PRDS can advise on access to additional AHS and provincial datasets — ask us as part of your service request.

Data coverage at a glance · earliest research-ready year → present
199420002006201220182024 now Claims Registry Vital Stats DAD NACRS PIN EDIS Imaging Lab ACCIS Connect Care ADT COVID-19
The longest series — practitioner claims and the provincial registry — reach back three decades, giving researchers a deep baseline for longitudinal and life-course analysis.
Put the platform to work

Which of these do your questions need?

Tell us your cohort and outcomes. We'll confirm which sources apply, whether they can be linked, and what your analysis-ready dataset would look like.