The EMBARC team actively uses administrative databases in our research efforts. Administrative datasets present unique opportunities to examine issues in the community through non-invasive means. Through the use of data that is already collected through routine record keeping, such as physician claims during medical office visits (the BC Medical Services Plan) and filled prescriptions at pharmacies (PharmaCare and PharmaNet), our group is able to examine how different care needs impact healthcare utilization and expenditures to inform the adaption of our current healthcare system to best meet the needs of BC’s population.
Below is a webinar presented by Ditha on the COAST (The Comparative Outcomes and Service Utilization Trends) study, a population-based cohort that she is using for her dissertation project focused to examine aging and age-related comorbidities among people living with HIV. The COAST study brings together many administrative health datasets, providing a wealth of information that allows for a deeper examination of many issues facing BC’s aging populations.
To learn more about this PopData BC webinar click here.