VHIN Introduction to research in the IDI

Are you considering using the IDI but aren’t sure where to begin? Are you interested in learning more about how the IDI can be used for research?

This course will provide an overview of the IDI and discuss some of the opportunities and major issues around its use for research. The course is taught by experienced IDI users and there will be ample time for discussion, questions, and networking with other course participants.

The value of linked routine data and its potential usefulness to research has never been greater. The Stats NZ's Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) leads the way internationally in this area. The IDI contains anonymised microdata about people and households from a range of government agencies, surveys, the NZ Census, and non-government organisations. The number of research projects in the IDI is rapidly expanding. The IDI can be a fantastic resource for health and social research, but successful IDI research requires a background of knowledge and contacts that are often not available to new users. This course aims to provide a base for IDI users to build this knowledge and network of contacts.

This course will introduce the IDI , provide practical tips about using the IDI, and share learnings from IDI projects, Healthier Lives and Better Start National Science Challenges, and a selection of other health research. Participants will get the opportunity to ask questions of the course convenors and a panel of established IDI users.

Dr Andrea Teng and Dr Frederieke Petrović-van der Deen are co-convening the course.

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Topics covered

In this course, we will cover the following:

• Overview of the IDI
• How to get started in the IDI
• The IDI structure, the spine, estimating a population and linkage rates
• Role of the researcher and useful resources
• Social license, ethics, and kaitiakitanga
• Key information on ethnicity, address, income and health
• Examples of IDI research
• Panel question and answer session

Style of course

This course will comprise of multiple short presentations, practical examples and opportunities for discussion.

Who should attend?

The course is aimed at novice IDI users. It will be of interest to researchers and analysts in government agencies or the health and social sector, academics, policy makers, health professionals and Masters and Doctoral Students. It will suit new IDI users, those who are considering using the IDI, and managers, supervisors and others who would like to understand more about IDI research. The course will be relevant to health, social and other sectors as well.

Draft timetable

Teaching staff

Dr Andrea Teng is a Senior Research Fellow and Public Health Physician. She has experience on several research projects in the IDI and is on the Virtual Health Information Network Executive, contributing to a network of IDI users with the aim of improving research quality in the IDI.

Annie Chiang is a PhD candidate at the School of Population Health, University of Auckland. She has been a user of the IDI since 2018 and recently submitted her PhD on missingness in population datasets in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Location

This course will be held in-person at the Wellington campus of University of Otago in Newtown (next to Wellington Regional Hospital). Specific directions to the course reception/room will be sent the week before the course start.

Course cost and registration

$375 early bird, $500 after Thursday 19 December 2024.

A 50% discount is available to full-time students, those unwaged and University of Otago staff.

A limited number of Māori and Pacific scholarships are available for this course. Please apply via the registration page.

If you work for the Ministry of Health, Social Wellbeing Agency, or Stats NZ, these agencies have already provided funding to cover your course costs. Please contact the convenors for further information.

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