From IDEA to Action: Three New Tools for Health Data Research
How can we turn principles of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility into practical action in Canada’s health data ecosystem? Join our next Discussion Session with Dr. Amy Freier, Kate Kelly and Dr. Laura Bowler for an inside look at three practical tools emerging from HDRN Canada’s IDEA Strategy. Launched after six months of co-creation across the network, the IDEA Strategy was designed to help data centres, administrators, analysts and researchers put IDEA into practice.
The session will introduce HDRN Canada’s:
- Unlearning Club Curriculum — which builds foundational knowledge of IDEA and explores how these principles connect to administrative health data research.
- IDEA Benchmarking Tool — which helps organizations assess current initiatives that support IDEA and identify opportunities for future action.
- Core Questions Reflection Tool — which prompts data administrators and researchers to consider IDEA from the earliest stages of project design.
Learn about the thinking and co-creation behind each tool, as well as how they can be used in real-world settings.
About the Speakers:
Dr. Amy Freier is HDRN Canada’s IDEA Team Lead and Associate Director for Equity, Engagement, and Impact at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. She holds a PhD in Media Studies from Western University and a Master of Arts degree in Cultural Studies from Queen’s University. Through her roles, she is actively engaged in collaborative and cross-sector research focused on data equity initiatives to enhance operations and data research. She is dedicated to knowledge mobilization and community-partnered research with an emphasis on equity in the research process.
Dr. Laura (Bowler) Bee is a member of HDRN Canada’s IDEA Team and the Data Equity Specialist at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. She obtained a BsC in Biochemistry from the University of Manitoba, for which she received the Gold Medal. In 2016, Dr. Bee earned a PhD in Medical Microbiology, also from the University of Manitoba, during which she became a mother to two children. Life events and political climates resulted in a value-shift and piqued an interest in public health. Dr. Bee obtained an MA in Public Health from the University of Victoria, focusing on social policy. Her passion lies in health equity where she advocates for health policy and practices that decrease inequities; as well as working toward social justice and the removal of systemic barriers.
Kate Kelly is a member of HDRN Canada’s IDEA Team and a Research Scientist at the University of Prince Edward Island’s Centre for Health and Community Research, where she supports researchers accessing data through the Secure Island Data Repository. Her work includes supporting multi-regional data research and collaborating with public partners and representatives from community organizations, governments and health authorities. Her interests focus on public engagement and the application of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility principles in data-driven research.
About HDRN Canada Discussion Sessions:
HDRN Canada Discussion Sessions is a monthly speaker series that brings together experts from across our network and the broader health data community to share insights on a wide range of topics. From distributed analysis and synthetic data to connected care, privacy and data harmonization, each session explores how linked population data can inform research, improve health systems, strengthen health outcomes, and advance health equity.
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