General help and FAQ
Support requests (eQuery)
Search °ä±õ±á±õ’s repository of answers on data-related topics, or submit a question about these AVÐÇÇò products and services:
- Case mix inpatient/ambulatory grouping methodologies, indicators and education
- AVÐÇÇò Portal
- Classifications coding
- Completing the National Rehabilitation Reporting System/FIM® assessment
- Continuing Care Reporting System (CCRS)
- Inpatient/ambulatory abstracting and education (Discharge Abstract Database and National Ambulatory Care Reporting System)
- Home Care Reporting System (HCRS)
Frequently Asked Questions
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Once you have created a AVÐÇÇò profile, you can request access to restricted AVÐÇÇò applications. Log in to your AVÐÇÇò profile and click Request Access: New/Revoke in the left-hand navigation menu. You can request or revoke access for yourself or others within your organization by completing the mandatory information. You will need to select the program, service, request type and role (if required). For most of our services, you will also need to provide your organization identifier(s) so we can authenticate and process your request.
Please log in to your AVÐÇÇò profile to submit a request for access, or contact us at help@cihi.ca for more information.
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°ä±õ±á±õ’s offers a large number of educational products and services. The courses cover, among other things, how to code data, how to submit data to AVÐÇÇò, how to use °ä±õ±á±õ’s reports and how to use data for decision-making.
AVÐÇÇò delivers its education sessions through the following methods:
- Web conferences: Live, online interactive presentations with discussion
- Workshops: Face-to-face interactive sessions at locations across Canada
- Self-study: Interactive elearning courses
- Downloadable documents
- Online web conference recordings with learning assessments (where applicable)
Non–Core Plan users are subject to °ä±õ±á±õ’s Learning Centre pricing policy. Read more on our Information for learners page.
Visit our Events and Education page for additional information or email help@cihi.ca.
eStore
°ä±õ±á±õ’s eStore offers access to °ä±õ±á±õ’s products, publications, instruction manuals and other tools. Access to some eStore products is restricted to clients whose organizations have signed a service agreement with AVÐÇÇò.
The quantities provided through the Core Plan to health care facilities are determined by the health care facility type, the total number of beds and the annual volume of case abstracts. Some Core Plan elements are subject to confidentiality and privacy restrictions, and are provided taking into account any imposed limitation.
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AVÐÇÇò develops standards and specifications to support the collection and submission of data. Licences are extended to health information software vendors to access and use this information to develop computer software products that support data collection and submission. For their software to collect and submit data to AVÐÇÇò, software vendors must first be licensed by AVÐÇÇò and then have their software products successfully pass °ä±õ±á±õ’s testing requirements.
Licensing
A health information software vendor that wishes to access and use °ä±õ±á±õ’s product specifications and standards to develop computer software products is required to have a signed licence agreement in place with AVÐÇÇò. °ä±õ±á±õ’s Health Information Standards and Specifications Agreement (HISSA) governs ongoing access to and use of °ä±õ±á±õ’s product specifications. In addition to signing the HISSA, software vendors are also required to complete an annual subscription process to access and use these products. Software vendors with a signed HISSA that have subscribed to the products are considered licensed AVÐÇÇò commercial customers.
For more information on becoming a licensed AVÐÇÇò commercial customer, email help@cihi.ca.
Testing
All health information software vendors are required to test any software product they have developed for submitting data to ensure that it meets °ä±õ±á±õ’s requirements, standards and specifications prior to live data submission. As well, certain product specifications may require testing on an annual basis or following a change, correction or update.
For more information on this process, email help@cihi.ca.
Health information software vendors by data holding
AVÐÇÇò is neutral and does not recommend, endorse or support any specific health information software vendors. However, software vendors that have signed a HISSA are in good standing with AVÐÇÇò. Vendors with software that has passed °ä±õ±á±õ’s testing requirements are listed on °ä±õ±á±õ’s website for reference purposes.
View health information software vendors that have successfully completed testing for the following data holdings:
- Canadian Joint Replacement Registry (CJRR) health information software vendors
- Canadian Patient Experiences Reporting System (CPERS) health information software vendors
- Continuing Care Reporting System (CCRS) health information software vendors
- Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) health information software vendors
- Home Care Reporting System (HCRS) health information software vendors
- Integrated interRAI Reporting System (IRRS) health information software vendors
- National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS) health information software vendors
- National Rehabilitation Reporting System (NRS) health information software vendors
- Ontario Mental Health Reporting System (OMHRS) health information software vendors
Contact us
For more information about health information software vendors, email help@cihi.ca 
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The data request process involves 5 key steps:
- Submit inquiry to AVÐÇÇò
- Assess request (by AVÐÇÇò)
- Finalize specifications, documentation and approvals
- Process and verify data
- Release data (and ultimately destroy data, for third-party record-level requests)
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The online Data Inquiry Form provides a centralized entry point for data requests and allows AVÐÇÇò to assess client needs prior to completing any formal documentation or approvals.
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AVÐÇÇò staff can provide advice on the structure and content of the data requested. You should consult a research advisor regarding statistical analysis.
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Secure destruction of record-level data refers to the destruction of the data in such a manner that reconstruction is not reasonably foreseeable in the circumstances, as defined in Section 18 of the Non-Disclosure/Confidentiality Agreement. Industry best practices for the secure destruction of data are constantly evolving; this is particularly true for data in electronic format. For general information about secure destruction methods, please review the . This fact sheet includes suggested best practices for the destruction of personal information. More information about °ä±õ±á±õ’s current secure destruction requirements is available upon request.
If you would like AVÐÇÇò information in a different format, visit our Accessibility page.