The European Health Data & Evidence Network (EHDEN) today announced the launch of the EHDEN Academy in Europe as an online educational resource for anyone working in the domain of real-world data use, and real-world evidence generation, with the aim of becoming a primary resource.An IMI2 (Innovative Medicines Initiative) EHDEN project, the EHDEN Academy’s goal is to build upon the foundations of the EHDEN project and its collaboration with the Observational Health Data Science & Informatics (OHDSI) community. The EHDEN Academy aims to be a resource for all those who generate and utilize data, work technically with it (e.g. ETL and mapping of data to the OMOP common data model), and are involved in the methodological development and use of standardized analytical tools within the OHDSI framework. As the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is showing us, the ability to collaborate and work with real-world data is critical to clinical decision-making, planning, and management decisions. As such, EHDEN is responding to the pandemic via its involvement in the OHDSI COVID-19 Virtual Study-a-thon, a COVID-19 Data Partner call, also supporting education in using real-world evidence at this critical time via the EHDEN Academy.
The Academy offers the opportunity to learn first-hand from experienced users and developers. All training and development programs are free of charge and can be followed anytime, anywhere. The initial scope of the Academy comprises four sections, but specific learning paths will be developed over the coming months:
- Tool Ecosystem: offers training on how to use our latest observational research tools, and currently focuses on working with the OMOP common data model, associated tools and methods.
- Meet Like-minded People: provides an open forum to share and develop ideas with an interdisciplinary group of learners.
- Join the Journey: helps anyone prepare for participation in worldwide face-to-face events such as our study-a-thons. Click on the links to learn more about a recent COVID-19 study-a-thon and the closing call for the OHDSI COVID-19 webinar.
- Connect with Experts: give users the opportunity to learn from experienced instructors involved in expanding the power of our research tools.
The Academy is not an educational institution at this time, and as such, does not issue certifications, but strives to provide high quality, open science educational resources for those studying them. Click on Getting Started to view the initial courses.
Peter Rijnbeek, Associate Professor Health Data Science at the Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands and Coordinator of EHDEN, said, “Collaboration is vital to the success of EHDEN and in building an eco-system that supports a range of data partners and other stakeholders in mapping and using health data across Europe. The Academy embodies this spirit of collaboration and will help speed up the research community’s ability to develop standardized research and analytical tools.”
“One of the most impactful ways we can empower our community to collaboratively generate evidence that promotes better health decisions and better care is to provide robust education about scientific best practices and analytics tools from leading experts in the field. This launch is an important step in this journey for both EHDEN and the entire OHDSI community,” said Patrick Ryan, PhD, Vice President, Observational Health Data Analytics, Janssen Research and Development; Assistant Professor Adjunct, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University.
“To truly bring the digital revolution to healthcare, the vast wealth of health data already available in hospitals throughout Europe must be harnessed at scale. The EHDEN Academy will equip researchers with the skills to unlock this data and help ensure European citizens receive the most appropriate healthcare for their needs,” said Colm Carroll, Scientific Project Manager: Digital Health, Innovative Medicines Initiative
“Today’s launch marks an important milestone in the EHDEN project’s evolution. The Academy is a cornerstone of the project and its commitment to provide quality education for the open science community at scale. It supports EHDEN’s vision of ensuring 21st-century tools for 21st-century research that ultimately improve treatment for patients across Europe,” said Nigel Hughes, Scientific Director, Observational Health Data Analytics/Epidemiology, Janssen Research and Development, and Project Leader of EHDEN.
For more information or to sign up for the EHDEN newsletter, please visit the EHDEN website. You can also follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on the latest free Academy offerings.
