Health Data for Public Health: Towards New Ways of Combining Data Sources to Support Research Efforts in Europe

Abstract

<b>Objectives:</b> To present the European landscape regarding the re-use of health administrative data for research. <b>Methods:</b> We present some collaborative projects and solutions that have been developed by Nordic countries, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and the UK, to facilitate access to their health data for research purposes. <b>Results:</b> Research in public health is transitioning from siloed systems to more accessible and re-usable data resources. Following the example of the Nordic countries, several European countries aim at facilitating the re-use of their health administrative databases for research purposes. However, the ecosystem is still a complex patchwork, with different rules, policies, and processes for data provision. <b>Conclusion:</b> The challenges are such that with the abundance of health administrative data, only a European, overarching public health research infrastructure, is able to efficiently facilitate access to this data and accelerate research based on these highly valuable resources.