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Now available: CIHI’s Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) research analytic files

The Canadian College of Health Information Management is pleased to announce a new addition to our College Educational Resources Program (CERP) from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). CIHI’s Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) research analytic files are now available to CERP subscribers who meet the additional licensing requirements (e.g., certain server settings).

Originally developed in 1963, DAD captures administrative, clinical and demographic information on hospital discharges (including deaths, sign-outs and transfers). Data coverage contains demographic, administrative and clinical data on all separations (with the exception of stillbirths and cadaveric donors) from acute inpatient facilities in all provinces and territories except Quebec.1

The CIHI data provided through CERP does not have the geographic and clinical datasets linked to preserve anonymity. The data pulled from DAD for CERP subscribers is a 10% sample size of geographic files and a 10% sample size of clinical files. Diagnosis codes are as they appear in the sample records without suppression.

The College partners with CERP contributors to expand its offerings and provide quality educational resources to faculty and staff at programs across Canada. Students and faculty can visit our ‘Partners’ page to confirm their educational institution’s eligibility to access these resources.

1. Canadian Institute for Health Information. (n.d.). Discharge Abstract Database Metadata (DAD). CIHI. Retrieved July 29, 2022, from https://www.cihi.ca/en/discharge-abstract-database-metadata-dad