The European Health Data & Evidence Network (EHDEN) recently achieved an important milestone in the effort to tap into the potential of real-world data and realise its mission to develop a federated network, standardised to a common data model. This will ultimately result in a Europe that more smartly manages and shares research methodologies – and expands education in open science and collaboration.
In concluding its first open call to SMEs (Small & Medium-sized Enterprises) to apply for training and certification, EHDEN has paved the way for speeding up the process to map health data from various formats and institutions to the OMOP common data model.
Eleven SMEs have been selected from a pool of twenty-eight eligible applications. The first wave of training will begin this month for five of the SMEs, with the other six following closely thereafter.
Prof. Peter Rijnbeek, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands and Coordinator of EHDEN, said, “We warmly welcome this initial group of SMEs. EHDEN provides SMEs with free training and certification, an ability to expand their market presence, and to be part of a transformational initiative that will have positive impact on patient outcomes across Europe.”
“Establishing this first geographically diverse SME network is a critical step in building an eco-system that supports a range of data partners and other stakeholders in mapping and using health data,” said Nigel Hughes, Janssen Clinical innovation Scientific Director, Patient Data for Research, and Co-Lead of EHDEN. “Once certified, these SMEs, together with the data partners that will be joining in the coming months and years, will become a key part of the EHDEN community,” he added.