HDR UK Real-World Evidence Network Co-ordination Centre

Funding to establish a co-ordination centre for a pilot real-world evidence network that will utilise data gathered from multiple UK sources. 

Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) is an independent, non-profit organisation that aims to make health data available to researchers and innovators in order to develop a better understanding of diseases and discover ways to prevent, treat and cure them.

HDR UK has launched this call to establish a co-ordination centre for a pilot real-world evidence network that will utilise data gathered from multiple UK sources. The aim is to demonstrate the potential of the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM) as an enabler of efficient cross-nation research studies.

The centre will support research and address healthcare needs by:

• Supporting the selection of an initial cohort of up to seven data partners who have already mapped one or more observational data sources to the OMOP CDM for use in research and innovation.
• Supporting the network of data partners in characterising their data sources to ascertain the potential for different use cases.
• Making available a catalogue of data sources via the Health Data Research Innovation Gateway (in partnership with HDR UK Technology Team).
• Identifying and assessing existing software tools that can be re-used by the network to accelerate all stages of the research pipeline, and identifying priorities requiring further development.
• Addressing specific research questions by carrying out high-quality studies, including developing scientific protocols, interrogating relevant data sources, collaborating with partners, and interpreting and reporting study results.

The centre will initially be funded for 12 months (June 2024-June 2025) and will serve as a proof of concept for a sustainable UK real-world evidence network. During that time, the centre will collaborate with HDR UK to assess progress and develop a proposal for a subsequent phase of development, assuming a positive trajectory and sufficient ‘pull’ from potential customers of OMOP-based real-world evidence.