U.S. Researchers, U.K. Partner On Open Data Healthcare Framework

The creation of a blueprint for the use of open data in healthcare was the driving force behind a recent collaboration between researchers at New York University's GovLab and England's National Health Service.

In a report developed as part of the partnership, "The Open Data Era in Health and Social Care," researchers said that while there is currently "widespread recognition" of open data's possibilities, the overall healthcare industry remains in the adolescent stages of understanding the best ways to take advantage of such resources..

"Policymaking is often easier than policy implementation: it is one thing to say what should be done, and quite another to know how to do it," the researchers said in the report. The guide aims to help the healthcare industry get the most from sharing open data by helping to set priorities and ways to measure benefits. Evidence, the researchers noted, is vital. The blueprint presents a framework for developing evidence-based programs to guide investment and research, according to an announcement...