title: Clinical diabetes research using data mining: a Canadian perspective.
abstract: With the advent of the digitization of large amounts of information and the computer power capable of analyzing this volume of information, data mining is increasingly being applied to medical research. Datasets created for administration of the healthcare system provide a wealth of information from different healthcare sectors, and Canadian provinces' single-payer universal healthcare systems mean that data are more comprehensive and complete in this country than in many other jurisdictions. The increasing ability to also link clinical information, such as electronic medical records, laboratory test results and disease registries, has broadened the types of data available for analysis. Data-mining methods have been used in many different areas of diabetes clinical research, including classic epidemiology, effectiveness research, population health and health services research. Although methodologic challenges and privacy concerns remain important barriers to using these techniques, data mining remains a powerful tool for clinical research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada. Electronic address: baiju.shah@ices.on.ca.
authors.forename: Baiju R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Medicine, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Lorraine L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Lipscombe
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D057225:Data Mining / Q000379:methods*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D006801:Humans
keywords: administrative data; data mining; données administratives; exploration de données; méthodes de recherche; research methods