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The data/database itself will remain the jointly owned property of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Royal College). However, constituent bodies of the CFPC, the CMA, and the Royal College (including, for example, Divisions, Regional Advisory Committees, and Chapters/Colleges), affiliated societies/ national specialty societies, government, provincial governments, licensing authorities, researchers/ research groups, universities and individual physicians, residents and students may submit requests and receive summary tabulations and statistical analyses of the information contained in the National Physician Survey Database in accordance with this Data Release Policy.
Requests for analyses, access, use or disclosure of the National Physician Survey (NPS) Database
All requests for analyses will be referred to the Technical Advisory Committee of the NPS. The Technical Advisory Committee is responsible for the scientific and research rigor of the NPS Database. This committee will ensure the accuracy and integrity of the use of the NPS Database, by acting as 'custodian' of the database and reviewing requests for information, reports and other output derived from the database.
The Technical Advisory Committee is composed of representation from each of the Co-leader organizations (CFPC, CMA, Royal College) and the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
Aggregate data derived from the National Physician Survey Database will be disclosed when the request is consistent with the objectives of the National Physician Survey and the mandates of the Co-leader organizations.
The CFPC, CMA and Royal College may charge for completing data requests on a cost-recovery basis.
To make a specific NPS results request please fill out a Results Request Form.
While the survey data was collected in a confidential manner, the National Physician Survey (NPS) Project Coordinator will, in keeping with the policies, rules and regulations established by the NPS Executive Committee, endeavor to ensure that any results, tables or summaries made available to requestors, or posted to websites, including this common National Physician Survey website (www.nationalphysiciansurvey.ca ) and those of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Royal College) and the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) be provided in a manner that preserves and protects physician confidentiality and personal information. In particular, database variables and/or tabular results that could or do identify individuals will not be published, nor will such information be redistributed by the CFPC, the CMA, the Royal College, or the CIHI.
For statistical accuracy purposes, the CFPC, the CMA, the Royal College, and CIHI will not publish or disclose aggregate data where the group/cohort of interest has fewer than 30 respondents. For respondent confidentiality purposes, for aggregate data where the cell size is from 1 to 4, or such other number which could, in the reasonable opinion of the disclosing Party, result in the disclosure of Confidential Personal Information, analyses will be flagged, and the decision of whether to suppress the data or not be based on the nature of the data and whether it could compromise Confidential Personal Information. In addition, the CFPC, CMA, Royal College and CIHI will not conduct record-linkage without the consent of the survey respondent. Requests for record-level data will be referred to the Project Coordinator for consideration. In exceptional cases where small cell frequencies are released, the CFPC, the CMA, and the Royal College will reserve the right to review results prior to their release or publication.
Publication
The CFPC, the CMA and the Royal College require that a copy of any paper, presentation text or publication resulting from analyses of the National Physician Survey database be provided to the Technical Advisory Committee for information purposes only. Please send to: artem@cfpc.ca.
To make a specific NPS results request please fill out a Results Request Form.
Where results or analyses are obtained from the National Physician Survey Database and subsequently published, an appropriate acknowledgment must be included. This rule applies to all papers, presentations and publications.
Referencing NPS results obtained from the NPS website:
Template reference: National Physician Survey [homepage on the internet]. College of Family Physicians of Canada, Canadian Medical Association, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; C[copyright date]. [cited year month day]. Title of items; [number of screens or pages]. Available from: www.nationalphysiciansurvey.ca.
Written papers, reports or publications:
The following text must be included in any subsequent written paper, report or publication emanating from the data collected for the CFPC/CMA/Royal College National Physician Survey Database.
(It is recognized that the location of the acknowledgement in any publication will follow that publication's format guidelines.)
The study described in this paper (presentation, etc) was conducted utilizing original data collected for the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada's (Royal College) National Physician Survey Database. The study was also supported by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, and Health Canada*. The study and all of the data contained therein are the copyright protected works of the CFPC, CMA, and Royal College and cannot be copied or reproduced in whole or in part without permission of the CFPC, CMA, Royal College.
* - Do not use the Health Canada mention when referencing 2010 NPS data.
Oral presentation:
If an oral presentation utilizes results from the National Physician Survey Database, then a slide should be included with the full text of the acknowledgement above.
If a written report or oral presentation is only using selected results, tables, or graphs derived from the National Physician Survey Database, then the source at the bottom of the table or graph (or in a footnote to text) should read CFPC/CMA/ Royal College National Physician Survey Database, 2004, 2007 or 2010 "Protected by Copyright". It is recognized that, in the case of an oral presentation, the data source may need to be referred to more succinctly, i.e., as "The 2004, 2007 or 2010 National Physician Survey".
Third Party Authorship:
As per the Uniform Requirements for Publication (Vancouver criteria), all individuals who were actively involved in conceptualizing the paper, analyzing the data, and preparing the presentation/publication should be listed as authors. While the data remains the property of the CFPC, the CMA and the Royal College, the subsequent intellectual property (analyses, conclusions, opinions, etc.) as expressed in the paper, presentation or publication belong to the authors of said works.
The recognition of the National Physician Survey Database in the title of any article based on information from this database may vary from journal to journal, but should contain elements of the following text:
Title of paper X (which is based upon results or analyses from the database)
A Study using the National Physician Survey Database, part of the National Physician Survey project co-led by the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Canadian Medical Association, and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and supported by the Canadian Institute for Health Information and Health Canada*.
Authors of paper X (as per the Vancouver criteria)
* - Do not use the Health Canada mention when referencing 2010 NPS data.
