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Data request

The CMPA provides data and derived insights to our members, which helps reduce medical-legal risk and promote safe medical care.

Data request process

We review all data requests and confirm their status (approved or declined) within 2 weeks.

Data request form

Approved requests

If we approve your request, you will receive a date on which we anticipate completion of our report.

You can expect to receive our report within 12 weeks. If we need more time, we will provide you a new completion date.

The final report includes the CMPA data and a summary of the analysis.

Declined requests

We may decline a data request if it does not align with safe medical care goals or if sufficient data or resources are not available.

About CMPA data

With over 100 years of experience protecting and assisting physicians, the CMPA has the largest collection of physician medical-legal data in Canada.

The CMPA collects data related to medical-legal matters with which the CMPA has assisted, such as:

  • legal actions
  • regulatory authority (College) complaints
  • hospital matters

Data sources include:

  • records
  • legal documents
  • peer expert opinions
  • College decisions

Limitations to CMPA data

While the CMPA database contains information on over 500,000 cases across Canada and representing different types of physician work since 1953, the sample size for certain research questions may not be large enough to draw specific conclusions. In such instances, the data analysis may either be restricted to descriptive themes only, or an analysis may not be possible.

Please also note:

  • Not all patient safety incidents that occur in Canada are reported to the CMPA. CMPA data should be regarded as a skewed sample of such events.
  • Not all information about specific cases may be captured in our database.
  • Analyses focus only on closed medical-legal cases, which may not include the most recent cases.

About information privacy

The privacy and security of information is paramount to the CMPA. See our privacy policy to learn how we collect, use, and share information.

The CMPA makes de-identified, aggregated data analysis reports available for education and research purposes. This information is intended to help physicians recognize and reduce medical-legal risk and promote safe medical care.

For more information, please contact datarequests@cmpa.org.