New Brunswick to allow greater data storage for health care research

The New Brunswick government is introducing legislation to allow public organizations to store information at a central data centre in Fredericton so that it can be used for research.

READ MORE: University of New Brunswick creates cybersecurity ‘hub’ with new institute

Health Minister Victor Boudreau says being able to link all the data at the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training will help the province know what is needed in terms of future social programs.

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The data is stored in a highly secured facility that opened two years ago on the University of New Brunswick campus in Fredericton.

Institute director Ted McDonald says identifying information, such as name, address and Medicare number, are all removed before the data is brought to the facility.

He says researchers will only have access to the minimum amount of raw data needed to do their research within the facility and there is no Internet connection.

McDonald says while other provinces have similar facilities, New Brunswick will be gathering a greater range of data, making it attractive for researchers.