Review the PHRN website and websites of the data linkage unit(s) from which you are requesting data for:

• information about the data collections available
• any mandatory training
• details of the application process.

Applicants are strongly advised to contact client services via phone or email before requesting a quote or applying for data. Be sure to discuss any questions,doubts or concerns you have before you begin your application. Contact details of Client Services are available on the PHRN website.

To register to use the OAS as a researcher, go to https://oas.phrn.org.au and ‘Sign up now’. All researchers who require access to the online application form need to sign up as a user.

You will need to use an authenticator app to scan a QR code, to set up multifactor authentication (MFA) as part of the sign up process.

Sign in to the PHRN OAS by entering your email address and password and pressing ‘Sign in’. You will then need to enter a 6 digit verification code, accessed via your authenticator app.

Throughout the process of preparing your Quote, Expression of Interest, Application or Amendment, please do not hesitate to contact phrn-oas@uwa.edu.au regarding any issues or queries about the PHRN OAS.

On the PHRN OAS home page press ‘Create’.

On the Summary page select ‘Quote’ from the ‘Application type’ drop down menu. ‘Quote’ should be chosen if you would like an estimated cost from each data linkage unit involved in your proposed research project.

Press ‘Validate’ and the mandatory fields to complete will be identified. Complete the mandatory fields as required and remember to press ‘Save’ after populating fields.

Once you have completed the request for quote, press ‘Submit’ to lodge your request via the PHRN OAS.

Once submitted, the jurisdictional data linkage units involved with your project will review your request for quote and discuss the feasibility of your project. Quotes will be uploaded to the PHRN OAS or emailed to the Principal Investigator and/or Contact Person within 14 business days.

Data linkage units will upload cost estimates to the PHRN OAS. To view the cost estimates, click on the DLU information tab and choose ‘Cost estimates’ from the drop down menu.

On the PHRN OAS home page press ‘Create’.

On the Summary page select ‘Expression of Interest’ from the ‘Application type’ drop down menu.‘Expression of Interest’ should be chosen if you would like to lodge a request for multi- or cross-jurisdictional linked data.

Press ‘Validate’ and the mandatory fields to complete will be identified. Complete the mandatory fields as required and remember to press ‘Save’ after populating fields.

Once you have populated all mandatory fields, press ‘Submit’ to lodge your request via the PHRN OAS.

Once submitted, the jurisdictional data linkage units involved with your project will review your expression of interest and discuss the feasibility of your project.

Coordinated feedback will be uploaded to the PHRN OAS and/or emailed to the Principal Investigator and Contact Person within 4 to 5 weeks of the submission date. Quotes will be uploaded to the PHRN OAS or emailed to the Principal Investigator and Contact Person.

Upon completion of this phase, your application will be returned to the owner.

The next phase is known as the ‘researcher review’ phase. This phase generally involves the application owner responding to any suggested changes/clarifications requested by the jurisdictional data linkage unit(s). This may mean making amendments to the online form, further discussions between the researchers and individual data linkage(s), and completing additional jurisdictional-specific forms. Upon completion of this phase, the application owner will press ‘Submit’ to return the application to the jurisdictional data linkage units.

Please be aware that during this time the application may go back and forth between the application owner and the data linkage(s) until client services are satisfied that the application is complete.

Once the expression of interest (design) phase of your project is complete, you will be notified that the EOI phase is complete. In the PHRN OAS the status of your project will change to ‘EOI Completed’.

On the PHRN OAS home page press ‘Edit’ and your ‘Application Type’ will be automatically changed to ‘Application’.

Make any required changes then press ‘Submit’ to lodge your application.

On behalf of the researcher, the client service officers will liaise with the relevant data custodians for review of your application.

After feedback has been received from the relevant data custodians, the ‘Application’ can be:

Returned to the owner and re-enter the ‘Researcher Review’ phase (Step 4). The application owner will be required to amend their application further to incorporate suggested changes. Once the application owner is satisfied with the changes made, the application should be re-submitted to the PHRN OAS by pressing ‘Submit’

or

Remain in the ‘Submitted’ status. At this stage the data custodian will provide in principle support, conditional approval or reject the application. Note that data custodians typically will not provide final approval until the project has received ethics approval. If a project is given in principle support, researchers can receive a feasibility letter stating that the linkage is technically feasible and that the data linkage unit is able to link the requested data.

In most jurisdictions, researchers are encouraged to apply for ethics approval after they have received conditional approval from each of the data custodians from which they are requesting data and the technical feasibility letter from the relevant data linkage unit(s). The client services officer of the jurisdictional data linkage unit(s) involved with linking data for your project will be able to provide you with guidance on this.

Please notify the data linkage unit(s) when you are submitting the HREC application. In the PHRN OAS (approvals/ethics section) the application owner is able to press ‘Add Ethics Committee’ to add the relevant HRECs, and ‘Manage Documents’ to upload all HREC applications, approval letters, consent forms, participant information sheets etc.

Once your project has ethics approval, email the data linkage unit(s) and/or update details in the PHRN OAS. Please note the data linkage unit(s) will only learn of your project’s ethics approval through your advice.

In the PHRN OAS, researchers are able to monitor and track data custodian approvals. Jurisdictional data linkage unit(s) will approve data sets in the PHRN OAS upon receipt of data custodian approval letters. Once the project has all its approvals in place, i.e. data custodian, ethics and any other approvals required, the project will be given Final Approval in the PHRN OAS.

On the PHRN OAS home page highlight the approved project and press the ‘Amendment’ button.‘Amendment’ should be chosen if the original application is approved and you would like to apply for access to additional linked data for the same project.

A text box will appear. You will need to confirm that you would like to create an ‘Amendment’ by pressing the ‘Amendment’ button or by pressing ‘Cancel’

By pressing ‘Amendment’ you will be returned to the home page. Your Application type (Application) and project number (P00XX_Year) will remain the same and an automated amendment number will be added to the project number e.g. P00XX_Year_A1). The status of your application is now ‘Draft’.

On the homepage, highlight the new project and press the ‘Edit’ button.

Amend the application as required. Remember to press ‘Save’ after making changes on a page.

Once you have populated all mandatory fields, press ‘Submit’ to lodge your request via the PHRN OAS.

Once submitted, the jurisdictional data linkage units involved with your project will meet to discuss the feasibility of your project.

Coordinated feedback will be uploaded to the PHRN OAS and/or emailed to the Principal Investigator and Contact Person within 4 to 5 weeks of the submission date. Quotes will be uploaded to the PHRN OAS or emailed to the Principal Investigator and Contact Person.

Upon completion of this phase, your application will be returned to the owner.

The next phase is known as the ‘researcher review’ phase. This phase generally involves the application owner responding to any suggested changes/clarifications requested by the jurisdictional data linkage unit(s). This may mean making amendments to the online form, further discussions between the researchers and individual data linkage(s), and completing additional jurisdictional-specific forms. Upon completion of this phase, the application owner will press ‘Submit’ to return the application to the jurisdictional data linkage units.

Please be aware that during this time the application may go back and forth between the application owner and the data linkage(s) until client services are satisfied that the application is complete.

On behalf of the researcher, the client service officers will liaise with the relevant data custodians for review of your application.

After feedback has been received from the relevant data custodians, the ‘Application’ can be:

Returned to the owner and re-enter the ‘Researcher Review’ phase (Step 4). The application owner will be required to amend their application further to incorporate suggested changes. Once the application owner is satisfied with the changes made, the application should be re-submitted to the PHRN OAS by pressing ‘Submit’

or

Remain in the ‘Submitted’ status. At this stage the data custodian will provide in principle support,conditional approval or reject the application. Note that data custodians typically will not provide final approval until the project has received ethics approval. If a project is given in principle support, researchers can receive a feasibility letter stating that the linkage is technically feasible and that the data linkage unit is able to link the requested data.

In most jurisdictions, researchers are encouraged to apply for ethics approval after they have received conditional approval from each of the data custodians from which they are requesting data and the technical feasibility letter from the relevant data linkage unit(s). The client services officer of the jurisdictional data linkage unit(s) involved with linking data for your project will be able to provide you with guidance on this.

Please notify the data linkage unit(s) when you are submitting the HREC application. In the PHRN OAS (approvals/ethics section) the application owner is able to press ‘Add Ethics Committee’ to add the relevant HRECs, and ‘Manage Documents’ to upload all HREC applications, approval letters, consent forms, participant information sheets etc.

Once your project has ethics approval, email the data linkage unit(s) and/or update details in the PHRN OAS. Please note the data linkage unit(s) will only learn of your project’s ethics approval through your advice.

In the PHRN OAS, researchers are able to monitor and track data custodian approvals. Jurisdictional data linkage unit(s) will approve data sets in the PHRN OAS upon receipt of data custodian approval letters. Once the project has all its approvals in place, i.e. data custodian, ethics and any other approvals required, the project will be given Final Approval in the PHRN OAS.