Health-RI Facilitating COVID-19 Research
Health-RI launched the Dutch Covid-19 Research Data Support Programme. To support investigators and health care professionals with tools and services in their search for ways to overcome the pandemic and its health consequences.
In response to the current outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) local research actions are taking place across the world. Several initiatives have started to connect these data in a federated network of data resources on COVID-related research and care data.
Health-RI, the Dutch national initiative to facilitate and stimulate an integrated health data infrastructure, will facilitate this for investigators. It will do so by connecting communities, providing data services and tools and presenting an overview of COVID-19 related initiatives.
Data services and tools to facilitate COVID-19 research
The battle against Covid-19 is heavily data dependent. Finding the right data sets, curating them where necessary, making them accessible to researchers, linking - data from many different sources and making rich data sets reusable often is nontrivial.
Making data findable
Health-RI is inventorying existing COVID-19 related data collections, images and samples. As a next step, all relevant data sets will be labeled as ‘COVID-19’ in BBMRI.nl catalogue. In time, new data sets will be added and enhanced with information on what specifics make these data or samples relevant.
Providing access to data
Podium, a ‘webshop’ system will give access to data collections, efficiently and safely. It can be used by researchers and organizations alike to manage and facilitate the research request workflow of data/samples/images.
Making data interoperable
Data are located at various places. Health-RI can help researchers with using the Personal Health Train principles to make optimal use of the distributed data. Health-RI also offers expertise on more traditional methods of connecting data.
Sharing radiology images
Health-RI hosts and supports a solid pipeline for managing large quantities of radiology images, pseudonymisation of DICOM images and making these available for research (CTP and XNAT).
ELSI service desk
To answer questions about Ethical, Legal and Social Implications. Important if you want to use health data for research purposes, particularly in the current context of COVID-19. For example, someone who is on life support will not be able to give consent for research purposes.
Connecting research and health communities
Connecting research efforts will lead to faster results. Health-RI offers a platform for collaboration between communities such as clinical researchers, physicians, biobankers, data experts and IT experts.
Health-RI is collaborating with VWS and RIVM and has full commitment from partnering organizations such as BBMRI.nl, ELXIR-NL, DTL, TraIT, Personal Health Train, and the ELSI servicedesk.
Health-RI connects to international initiatives such as VODAN (Virus Outbreak Data Network) and others such as EOSC-Life.
Call for COVID-19 data initiatives
Health-RI is actively collecting starting and ongoing COVID-19 related initiatives. This will make collaborations easier and prevent fragmented research. Find out more here.
Source: Health-RI
