Information model
The Information Model is a high-level model that establishes subject areas for organizing and showing relationships between the categories and concepts of the Pan-Canadian Health Data Content Framework.
The information model is a high-level model which highlights the key real-world concepts that are important to understanding a person’s health, which include the organizations that deliver care, the jurisdictions that govern care, and the overall health care ecosystem in Canada. It establishes high-level subject areas for organizing concepts from the data content standard.
The audiences for the information model are decision-makers, policy-makers, researchers, health care institution IT staff, clinical solution vendor technical staff, experts involved in standards development and data architecture, software developers, those interested in e-health and digital health modernization initiatives, and anyone who would like more information about the Pan-Canadian Health Data Content Framework.
The information model is composed of layers, subject areas, concepts and relationships. These components are briefly described here, and each one is defined below:
- Layer: A high-level grouping of concepts.
- Subject area: A specific area of focus for health data where concepts are grouped together, based on relevance and context, into unifying views to promote common understanding and data quality.
- Concept: A distinct abstract idea that represents a category of real-world objects, events, places or people.
- Relationship: A key association between 2 entities; often represented as verbs linking 2 concepts.
The maturity of the Information Model is currently 3: Ready for use.
| Stage of maturity | Definition |
|---|---|
| Future development | Artifact is planned |
| 0: In development | Artifact is a work in progress |
| 1: Draft | Artifact incorporates input from experts |
| 2: Proposed | Artifact has been through at least one round of open public review or is based on an established Canadian or international standard (e.g., IPS, USCDI, AUCDI or equivalent) |
| 3: Ready for use | Artifact is ready for use |
Explore the information model
Click on “Go to the diagram” to view the interactive version of the information model.
Concepts and subject areas of the model
A. Person Health Data (Micro)
B. Care Organization Data (Meso)
C. Jurisdiction Health Data (Macro)
D. Health System Data (Mega)
Previous versions
Contact us
If you have questions about this initiative, would like to be added to our stakeholder notification list or would like to participate in our consultations, please email us.
How to cite:
Canadian Institute for Health Information. Information model. Accessed November 02, 2026.
