The OnSPARK LTC Data Platform: Leveraging interRAI to Build a Learning Health System for Long-Term Care
Authors: Andrew P Costa, Michaella Miller, Colleen Webber, Darly Dash, Luke Turcotte, Aaron Jones, Arthur Sweetman
Abstract
Long-Term Care (LTC) in Canada faces persistent challenges in quality, staffing, and accountability. InterRAI assessment instruments, used nationally and internationally, provide validated scales, quality indicators, and care planning tools that support evidence-based resident assessment. Yet, their potential has been limited by delayed access, facility-level aggregation, and lack of integration with workforce and operational data. OnSPARK (Ontario Supporting Partnerships to Advance Care and Knowledge in Long-Term Care) addresses this gap as Canada's largest sector-governed LTC data platform. By integrating de-identified interRAI assessments, electronic health records, and staffing data from more than 200 Ontario homes, OnSPARK delivers unit-level analytics, near real-time performance reporting, and a secure environment for embedded research and artificial intelligence development. This article describes how OnSPARK enables interRAI to function as the backbone of a learning health system in LTC, advancing unit-level reporting, workforce-outcome linkages, artificial intelligence-enabled tools, and collaboratives such as the Seniors Quality Leap Initiative.