The Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) has a standardized application process for protected data for research or public health purposes.
In general, the EMSA will not support research that will lead to the creation of a product or tool that the researcher or funder intends to market. For example, the EMSA will deny data requests from requestors wanting to evaluate the impact of prescription drugs if a pharmaceutical company finances the study directly or indirectly.
Please note that EMSA receives protected health information from the health plans at varying intervals. Depending upon the type of data being requested, there may be a delay between six to eighteen months after the date of service before EMSA encounter data is considered to be complete. For example, inpatient encounter data typically take longer to complete than outpatient encounter data.
EMSA data is currently available as far back as October 2004.
EMSA adheres to releasing minimally necessary datasets when fulfilling data requests in accordance with Federal Laws (DHCS LINK) and California Laws (DHCS LINK), as well as CHHS agency data sharing guidelines.
In particular, Section 1902 (a) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 1396a (7)) restricts EMSA from disclosing protected information other than for purposes that are directly connected with the administration of the Medi-Cal Program.
Note: Section 1798.24 (t)(1) of the California Civil Code statute states that EMSA can only grant data requests for Principal Investigators conducting scientific research for a nonprofit educational institution or for a non-profit research institution: “To the University of California, a nonprofit educational institution, an established nonprofit research institution performing health or social services research.”
As a part of accessing and maintaining protected DHCS data, EMSA requires researchers to provide a presentation of their findings to EMSA staff. Potential presentation dates will be forwarded to researchers as a part of the annual DUA renewal process.
Please note that Data Use Agreements (DUAs) will now be electronically signed via DocuSign (initiated in 2018).
Requestors must submit a complete application packet via e-mail to ?????????????????@emsa.ca.gov composed of the following:
For Research:
- New Application (DHCS LINK)
- Research Renewal Application (DHCS LINK)
- Request for Data Revisions Application (DHCS LINK)
- Data Table (DHCS LINK)
- Data Use Agreement (Email EMSA at ???????????????@emsa.ca.gov for the recent version)
- Please ONLY fill in the grey areas in the DUAs (Note: Please DO NOT sign or initial if you intend to sign via DocuSign).
- A copy of the researcher’s curriculum vitae
- A one-page Excecutive Summary that includes the following information on the research institution’s letterhead:
- PI Name:
- Title of Research Project:
- Application Submission Date:
- Hypothesis:
- Primary goal of the research:
- Background:
- Benefit to the Medi-Cal population:
- Methodology:
- Approximately how many subjects will be a part of the study?
- A copy of the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS) approval and research protocol (Please note that CPHS application is reviewed by a separate State entity from EMSA. Annual renewal of CPHS approval is required for the renewal of DUA).
EMSA Public Health Application for County Requests:
- Public Health Application (DHCS LINK)
- Public Health Renewal Application (DHCS LINK)
- Request for Data Revisions Application (DHCS LINK)
- Data Table (DHCS LINK)
- Data Use Agreement (Email EMSA at ??????????????@emsa.ca.gov for the recent version)
- Please ONLY fill in the grey areas in the DUAs (Note: Please DO NOT sign or initial if you intend to sign via DocuSign).
- A one-page Executive Summary that includes the following information on the research institution’s letterhead:
- PI Name:
- Title of Research Project:
- Application Submission Date:
- Hypothesis
- Primary goal of the research:
- Background:
- Benefit to the Medi-Cal population
- Methodology:
- Approximately how many subjects will be a part of the study?
- A copy of the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS) approval and research protocol or a copy of the CPHS exemption letter
EMSA Public Health Application for State Department Requests (CalHHS Data Sharing Framework):
Data sharing at CalHHS is governed by the CalHHS data exchange agreement and the associated business use case proposal process. The CalHHS Data Exchange Agreement is bifurcated into two parts—one master agreement, Interagency Data Exchange (IDEA) Guidebook, with general legal boilerplate language and subordinate “Business Use Case Proposals” containing the specific business case to document each data exchange under the master agreement. The Business Use Case Proposal includes information such as data type, intended use, etc. The master agreement, when coupled with the Business Use Case Proposal, forms the complete, standardized, legally-compliant data sharing agreement.
Contact your Department’s data coordinator for information on how to find and exchange CalHHS data.
Download the data sharing materials:
Interagency Data Exchange (IDEA) Guidebook
CalHHS Data Sharing – Process Flow (pdf)
CalHHS Data Sharing – Legal Agreement (pdf)
CalHHS Data Sharing – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)(pdf)
Business Use Case Proposal – Form
Business Use Case Proposal – Instructions (pdf)
Completed Data Table (DHCS LINK)
Exhibits that accompany the Data Use Agreements (for your files and information):
EMSA DUA Exhibit C (Security Control) (DHCS LINK)
EMSA DUA Exhibit D (Breach Notification) (DHCS LINK)
Please email DRC Application materials:
Electronically to ??????????????@emsa.ca.gov.
Note that all incomplete forms will be returned for completion. Confirmation of receipt of the application packet by DHCS will be sent to the researcher via e-mail.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, please contact the EMSA coordinator at ???????????????@emsa.ca.gov.