Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Patients
About CPIN
What is the Canadian Primary Care Information Network (CPIN)?
CPIN is a research program at the Institut du Savoir Montfort. It is the research institute of Montfort Hospital. CPIN is a bilingual network in English and French. It helps clinics share clear information with patients. CPIN also sends health messages and short surveys. These help clinics learn from patients and improve care.
Why does my clinic work with CPIN?
Your clinic works with CPIN to better inform patients and improve care. The clinic wants to hear what patients think. Your feedback helps the clinic learn what patients like and what they do not want. This helps the clinic give better service.
Does CPIN replace my primary care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner)?
No. CPIN does not replace your doctor or nurse practitioner. You will still see your usual care provider. CPIN only helps your clinic share information with patients. It also helps the clinic collect feedback from patients.
About the messages I receive
Why did I receive a message from CPIN?
You received a message because your primary care provider wanted to share information with
you. Your clinic used CPIN to send that message.
What kind of messages may I receive?
- Health promotion messages
- Survey reminders
- Invitations to complete a short survey
- Messages related to a research project
Are CPIN messages generated by a machine?
Most CPIN messages are written by health experts. Some messages may use help from artificial intelligence. Health professionals always check the messages before they are sent.
Is this medical advice?
Yes. These messages give general health advice. They share basic information about health. If you have a health problem or a question about your health, please contact your clinic.
About the surveys
If I don’t respond, will it affect my care?
No. Your decision will have no impact on your care.
What are my responses used for?
They help the clinic understand what is working well and what can be improved. Your answers, if you choose to complete a survey, are grouped with those of all the other patients who answered and shared with the clinic. They are also grouped with the answers of hundreds of other patients to understand how to use or improve digital health communication for patients, or how patients are experiencing the health system.
Can I change my mind?
Yes. You can unsubscribe at any time. In fact, every message you receive will include a link to unsubscribe from CPIN communications.
Confidentiality and security
Are my responses private?
Yes. Your answers are private. They are grouped with answers from other patients. Your name and identity are not shared.
Does my name appear in the results?
No.
Is my data sold?
No. Your data is never sold or shared with private organizations.
Is my data secure?
Yes. It is protected under Canadian law. All data is hosted on our servers at the Montfort Hospital.
Is it added to my medical record?
No, unless a special project clearly explains why and you agree to it.
Technical questions
I did not receive the message.
You will only receive CPIN messages if your primary care provider is participating in one of our studies and your information is up to date at your clinic. Please always check your spam folder.
The link doesn’t work.
Try copying the link into your browser. If that doesn’t work, it may have expired.
Can I respond later?
Yes, if the survey is still open.
Providers
About CPIN
What is the Canadian Primary Care Information Network (CPIN), and what is its mission?
CPIN is a Canadian network created by primary care physicians and researchers that helps clinics communicate better with their patients and improve the quality of care. It uses digital tools, collects patient data, and conducts research with various partners.
Why participate?
To:
- Better inform your patients
- Gather their opinions
- Participate in health research projects
- Support your continuous improvement efforts
- Complete your CPD credits
What is its geographic scope?
CPIN works with clinics located across Canada, including Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, Newfoundland, and Labrador.
Who runs CPIN?
CPIN is run by a team of primary care researchers, including family physicians and university partners. All research studies are approved by the Monfort Hospital Research Ethics Board (REB).
Services offered
What tools are available?
- Health promotion messages by email or text message
- Patient experience surveys
- Aggregated reports
- Participation in national studies
Can I choose the messages?
Usually, depending on the project.
Are there any fees?
Basic services are offered free of charge.
Can I choose the messages that are sent?
Usually, depending on the project and clinical priorities.
Data and compliance
How is data anonymized?
Information that could identify an individual (such as name or address) is removed before analysis.
Are projects approved by an ethics committee?
Yes. All CPIN studies that require the collection of information from patients or providers are first evaluated and approved by a research ethics committee.
Is the data secure?
Yes. It complies with Canadian privacy standards.
Does the data leave the province?
That depends on the project and the data sharing agreements in place. In all cases, however, all data remains within Canada.
Is the data linked to the EMR (electronic medical record)?
Only if it is included in the project and the required authorizations are obtained.
Artificial intelligence
Does CPIN use AI?
Some projects are testing AI to improve the clarity of messages.
Does AI replace clinical judgment?
No. Messages are always reviewed by healthcare professionals.
Participation in studies
How do I register my clinic?
You can register your clinic via the CPIN website or by contacting the CPIN team at info@cpin-rcip.com.
Is there compensation for certain studies?
Yes. Compensation varies depending on the project. You can consult the pages for our various studies to find out more.
What is the commitment required?
It varies depending on the project (e.g., message dissemination, recruitment, feedback).
Impact
How are the results used?
Results and feedback are used to improve services and support clinical decisions.
Can the results be shared?
Yes, we have reports in our surveys at our participating clinics.