Preliminary survey results shed light on the state of health-related data practices across campus

The Health Research Hub (HRH) has begun reviewing early results from its campus-wide survey on health research data practices. The survey, conducted earlier this year, invited Waterloo researchers to share their experiences storing, managing, accessing, and using health-related data. Fifty-one researchers from across campus completed the survey.

Preliminary results point to a highly collaborative and inter-disciplinary health research community. Among respondents, two-thirds reported working beyond a single discipline, while more than 80% reported collaborating with others across campus and/or externally.

The results also show strong interest in shared infrastructure and improved discoverability of health research data. Many respondents expressed interest in a PHIPA/PIPEDA-compliant high-performance computing solution while some were unsure at the time of the survey. The latter suggests an opportunity for more education, awareness, and consultation around what this type of infrastructure could offer. There is also considerable interest in a catalogue of health research datasets linked to UWaterloo researchers. Respondents cited benefits including discovering new datasets, finding collaborators and trainees, avoiding duplication of effort, and increasing the visibility of their own datasets.

Finally, early findings suggest strong enthusiasm for helping shape the future of HRH and health data at UWaterloo. We’re grateful for this interest and support. At the same time, respondents identified areas where more support is needed, including education and awareness around health data security, privacy, and governance best practices.

Analysis of the survey results is on-going, and HRH will continue to engage with the research community as the data pillar develops. Stay tuned.