Application of statistical disclosure methods to the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program Database

We describe statistical disclosure control methods (SDC) developed for a public release Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) micro-data file. CHIRPP is a national injury surveillance database managed by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). After describing CHIRPP, the paper includes a brief overview of basic SDC concepts, as an introduction to the process for selecting and developing the appropriate SDC methods for CHIRPP given its specific challenges and requirements. We then summarize some key results. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implication of this work for the health information field and closing remarks with respect to the some methodological issues for consideration.