Authors:
Langan SM, Benchimol EI, Guttmann A, Moher D, Petersen I, Smeeth L, Sorensen HT, Stanley FJ, von Elm E
Authors notes:
Clinical Epidemiology. 2013;5(1):29-31
Keywords:
Data linkage, routine medical records, epidemiology, research
Abstract:
Recent technological developments in recording health care delivery have led to major research opportunities for epidemiologists and others.
There has been a dramatic increase in the availability of "routine data" for research purposes, including data from electronic medical records, administrative data for billing purposes, disease registries, and sources of sociodemographic data.
Examples of routine data include data from medical records in the UK in the Clinical Practice Research Database, administrative data from Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Medicare, and registry data from the Danish National Registry of Patients.
The key aspect that differentiates routine data from other research data sources is the reasons for which the data were collected, since routine data are not specifically collected for research purposes.
These data are increasingly available from various health care settings and geographic locations.
They present innovative, efficient, and cost-effective prospects with which to answer key research questions.
However, use of these data for research leads to specific challenges for researchers and for policymakers and clinicians in using studies based on such data.