Health Data Research UK

Cohort Discovery is a pioneering initiative designed to empower researchers and innovators in the field of health data analysis. By providing a secure platform, it enables users to efficiently identify the size of populations relevant to their research queries across multiple datasets, without the need for direct communication with the data-holding organizations. Researchers can leverage a user-friendly interface to specify desired characteristics, such as the demographic profile of individuals (e.g., female asthmatics aged 25-35). The system conducts real-time queries against pseudonymised datasets from various Data Custodians, returning a simple numerical count of relevant individuals.

To ensure ethical and secure data use, Cohort Discovery emphasizes a governance framework called "Five Safes," which safeguards user access, project intentions, settings, data integrity, and output confidentiality. Accessible only to verified researchers, the platform supports the submission of standardized requests to Data Custodians. In essence, Cohort Discovery streamlines research processes while maintaining stringent standards for data privacy and security, ensuring that public health research can proceed with confidence.