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How engagement works

From your question to your dataset

Research data access in Alberta follows a governed path designed to protect patients while enabling good science. Here's how PRDS moves your project through it — the four phases, the approvals each one needs, and what to expect along the way.

1
Phase One

Planning

Every project starts with the approvals that make data use legitimate. We help you scope the study so your applications are realistic and your timeline is sound.

  • Research ethics board (REB) approval for your protocol
  • AHS operational review confirming the request can be met
  • Feasibility assessment & a Letter of Support for grants (allow 2+ weeks)
2
Phase Two

Access

Once approvals and agreements are in place, our analysts process the extraction — verifying that consent and data-sharing agreements are executed before any record is pulled.

  • Verification of consent and executed data agreements
  • Cohort construction, extraction & linkage across sources
  • Work performed inside the AHS secure environment
3
Phase Three

Release

Your analysis-ready dataset is de-identified and delivered through secure protocols — with the documentation you need to understand and cite it.

  • De-identified data transfer via secure protocols
  • Data dictionary and provenance documentation
  • Analytic support available to interpret and extend the release
4
Phase Four

Retention

Responsible stewardship continues after delivery. Researchers keep records only as long as their approvals and funders require, then dispose of them securely.

  • Retention aligned to your ethics specifications
  • Compliance with funder requirements
  • Secure destruction or archival at study close
The path, end to end
1Planning 2Access 3Release 4Retention REB + ops review extract & link secure de-identified transfer

The service application

Engagement begins when you submit a service request describing your study, data needs, and approvals. We review it, confirm feasibility, and follow up on scope and timeline.

Start a request

The Letter of Support

Applying for funding? A Letter of Support confirms the data feasibility of your project for reviewers. It requires a feasibility review, so plan for at least two weeks ahead of your deadline.

Request a letter
Before you apply

Come prepared, and things move faster.

You don't need everything finalized to talk to us — early conversations shape better studies. But having these in view helps us give you an accurate feasibility read and timeline.

  • A clear research question and study population
  • The outcomes and exposures you need to measure
  • Your time window and any comparison groups
  • Status of your ethics approval and funding
  • Key deadlines (grant submission, ethics renewal)
Ready to begin

Start the conversation early.

The sooner we understand your study, the more we can do — from a stronger grant application to a smoother extraction. Reach out and we'll take it from there.

Request services Browse the data

Responsible Data Use

Every dataset PRDS releases contains information entrusted to Alberta's health system by patients. Access is a privilege carrying real responsibility.

  • Access only what your ethics approval coversExtractions are scoped to the cohort, variables, and time window your approvals specify — nothing more.
  • Work with de-identified dataDirect identifiers are removed before release; re-identification attempts are prohibited.
  • Protect the data you holdStore approved data securely, limit access to your named team, and follow your data-handling agreement.
  • Report cell sizes responsiblySuppress or aggregate small counts so no individual can be inferred from published results.
  • Use data for the approved purposeFindings serve the research question your approvals describe; new questions need new review.
  • Retain and destroy per agreementKeep records only as long as ethics and funders require, then dispose of them securely.