What is POPLAR?

POPLAR, the Primary care Ontario Practice-based Learning and Research Network, is an initiative of Ontario’s six University Departments/Sections of Family Medicine and the Alliance for Healthier Communities (Ontario’s Community Health Centres, Nurse Practitioner Led Clinics and Aboriginal Health Access Centres). 

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POPLAR is a collaboration of each of these  member networks who securely collect and de-identify electronic medical record (EMR) data to support practices in delivering optimal care across Ontario, and strengthen practice-based clinical research and quality improvement processes.

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POPLAR Member Networks work with clinicians, researchers, and policy makers, providing information on the vital work primary care does, while supporting practices in delivering optimal care across Ontario.

 

Currently, the POPLAR Member Networks have registered over 1,000 Primary Care Providers are contributing EMR data for over 1.8 million patients via their locally approved institutional  processes.  The POPLAR Member networks are in the process of sharing their data centrally POPLAR, to create a provincial data repository that can support and strengthen practice-based clinical research and quality improvement.