Publications and Reports

Publications in Journals

CPCSSN securely collects de-identified primary care health information from Electronic Medical Records (EMRs). Researchers can request fully anonymized data sets from CPCSSN with which to conduct research. If you are interested in learning more about papers that have been published using CPCSSN data, view the list of CPCSSN publications.

CPCSSN Reports

• Methods for defining a patient denominator in the national CPCSSN database: recommendations for best practicesAugust 9, 2024
  In this study, we examined the appropriateness of various denominator definitions to be used for CPCSSN data. Based on results from this study, we found the use of 2YCG or 3YCG created using table appropriate date variables with data from CPCSSN Encounters, Encounter Diagnosis, Medications and Billing tables provides a patient denominator that closely resembles… Read more: Methods for defining a patient denominator in the national CPCSSN database: recommendations for best practices
• CPCSSN Data for Mental Health ResearchJuly 4, 2024
  Abstract The Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN) provides a rich repository of electronic medical record (EMR) data from over 1,500 primary care providers and approximately 2 million patients across Canada. This report evaluates the applicability of CPCSSN data for mental health research, focusing on its utility in diagnosing, treating, and monitoring mental health… Read more: CPCSSN Data for Mental Health Research
• CPCSSN Data Quality: An Opportunity for Enhancing Canadian Primary Care Data August 24, 2023
  Morkem R, Salman A, Herman C, Shah R, Barber D. CPCSSN Data and Information Quality: An Opportunity for Enhancing Canadian Primary Care Data. Kingston, ON. Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network; April 2023.  The Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN) is Canada’s first electronic medical record (EMR) surveillance system and aims to improve primary… Read more: CPCSSN Data Quality: An Opportunity for Enhancing Canadian Primary Care Data 
• Report: Potentially Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing in Canadian Primary CareMarch 27, 2023
  In April 2022 CPCSSN released a report on potentially inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections in Canadian primary care. The report represents a collaboration between CPCSSN and Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC). CWC is the national voice for reducing unnecessary tests and treatments in Canada. The CWC campaigns for healthcare providers and their organizations to… Read more: Report: Potentially Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing in Canadian Primary Care
• Work in Progress on Antibiotics and Antimicrobial ResistanceJuly 9, 2021
  CPCSSN is currently studying antibiotic use and misuse in the context of the growing global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) issue. One of our ongoing projects aims to combine a prescribing app and feedback platform developed by the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR) to create a new antimicrobial stewardship tool. This tool will be tested… Read more: Work in Progress on Antibiotics and Antimicrobial Resistance