Vitalité Health Network and a research institute at the University of New Brunswick have signed a five-year agreement.
Vitalité’s deal with DataNB is meant to strengthen health research through using data generated by the healthcare system to improve practices, improve treatment, and increase efficiency.
In their release, Vitalité says that DataNB provides a secure infrastructure that ensures the protection of New Brunswickers’ rights and privacy. The framework enables researchers to use data from different parts of healthcare, such as administrative, social, and health data, in their work.
Research teams from DataNB are able to conduct analyses using this data to find room for improvement in clinics, policies, and service delivery.
Analyzing demographic and health data, which would include components like age, place of residence, and health conditions in a region, would allow researchers to adjust services to better serve New Brunswickers.
Dr. France Desrosiers, President and CEO of Vitalité Health Network, says professionals must be able to measure the impact of their initiatives based on evidence.
“DataNB’s expertise and scientific rigour will strengthen our ability to leverage data strategically to better plan for and respond to health needs, both now and in the future,” said Desrosiers.
Dr. Ted McDonald, Director of DataNB, says the research institute’s focus is on supporting evidence-informed decision-making.
“With approximately one-third of the province’s population being francophone, this partnership between UNB and Vitalité Health Network will help ensure our work better reflects the needs of the communities Vitalité serves, particularly in rural areas of northern New Brunswick,” said McDonald.
Vitalité says the two organizations have maintained strong ties for several years and that this new memorandum of understanding helps to structure and solidify this collaboration.
