Data Science and Health Informatics

What is Data Science and Health Informatics?
Data Science is an umbrella term for techniques used when trying to uncover insights and information from data. It is the intersection of: statistics, mathematics, computer design & programming.

Health Informatics is the use of information and communication technologies in health care. It is also known as eHealth, digital health & biomedical informatics. It Is the intersection of computer science, library science, cognitive science, organizational science and health sciences.

How does this advance patient-oriented research methods?
DaSHI aims to advance patient-oriented research methods by using data science and health informatics methods to improve healthcare processes and patient reported outcomes.

Cluster Themes

Integrated technology and analytic infrastructure that informs patient care

Opportunities to transform healthcare data by focusing on patient-centredness

purple bar — Data ecosystems with integration of person-centred data

teal bar — Application of specific types of data science methods to support patient centred healthcare

orange bar — Analytic approaches to address big data & the internet of things in the health context

Projects in This Cluster

Projects are coded by colour to the themes listed above.

Predictive Modelling of Healthcare Utilization Using InterRAI Data in Community and Long-Term Care

Project Lead: Shannon Freeman and Piper Jackson

Summary coming soon!

Natural Language Processing of Psychiatric Clinical Notes

Project Lead: Elodie Portales-Casamar

The Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Emergency (CAPE) unit at BC Children's Hospital provides emergency intervention and stabilization for youth in psychiatric crisis. At admission and discharge, patients receive extensive diagnostic assessments largely recorded as long narrative clinical notes. The ... read more

Understanding the Meaning and Value of Patient-reported Data using Personal Health Records within a Primary Care Network in Rural BC

Project Leads: Kathy Rush & Douglas Kingford

Personal Health Records (PHR) are computer-based tools in which patients can keep a record of information about their health. This information or patient-reported data includes medications, blood pressure readings, exercise activities, and family health history. Some PHRs allow a patient to connect ... read more

Cluster Lead

Kim McGrail

Kimberlyn McGrail is Data Director for the BC Academic Health Sciences Network. She is also a Professor at UBC in the School of Population and Public Health and the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, Scientific Director of Population Data BC, and the PI for the SPOR Canadian Data Platform. Her research interests are quantitative policy evaluation, aging and the use and cost of health care services, learning health systems and all aspects of population data science. She conducts research in partnership with clinicians, policy-makers and the public. Kim is a founding member of the International Population Data Linkage Network and founding Deputy Editor of the International Journal of Population Data Science. She was the 2009-10 Commonwealth Fund Harkness Associate in Health Care Policy and Practice, a 2016 recipient of the Cortlandt JG Mackenzie Prize for Excellence in Teaching, and 2017 recipient of a UBC award for Excellence in Clinical or Applied Research.

For more information about Kim, please click here.