About Us

Supporting your research

Health Data Nova Scotia (HDNS), is a data repository based in the Faculty of Medicine's, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University, focused on supporting data driven research for a healthier Nova Scotia.

HDNS facilitates research and innovation in Nova Scotia by providing access to linkable administrative health data and analysis for research and health service assessment purposes in a secure, controlled environment, while respecting the privacy and confidentiality of Nova Scotians.

Using administrative health data for research

In a time of health care reform, spending constraints and an expanding world of therapies and technologies, the need for evidence and population-based research to support efficient and effective health services has never been greater.

We provide researchers with access to provincial administrative health data sets to facilitate research in health services, population health and epidemiology. Our data holdings include:

• linkable, de-identified administrative data
  
• physician billings
• hospital discharge abstracts
  
• vital statistics (death)
• prescription claims 

These individual databases are linkable to create rich opportunities for research.

We support individual researchers and research teams in Nova Scotia and across the country. Contact us to see how we can help your research.

For more information about administrative health data, please visit this page.