In today’s data-driven healthcare landscape, the ability to link disparate datasets is revolutionizing research and care delivery. As the global market for data and analytics in the pharmaceutical industry is projected to reach $2.1 billion by 2028, according to projections from GlobalData, the integration of real-world data (RWD) has become essential for producing meaningful insights that can drive measurable improvements in patient outcomes.
Healthcare datasets are often fragmented and siloed, limiting researchers’ capacity to achieve a comprehensive understanding of patient journeys and treatment efficacy. Effective data linkage addresses this issue by unifying diverse datasets, such as claims data, electronic health records (EHRs), and laboratory results. This integration enables more robust comparisons, deeper analysis, and novel research opportunities. However, successful linking requires more than mere aggregation. Data must be accurate, complete, and traceable. Otherwise, there could be unreliable outcomes, undermining both efficiency and trust.
One of the leading examples of data linkage in action is MarketScan’s Research Databases. MarketScan®, a Truven company, combines claims, EHRs, mortality data, social determinants of health, and other specialized sources to create a longitudinal, nationally representative dataset encompassing over 300 million lives. Through its secure and deterministic linkage methodologies, MarketScan captures the continuum of care across time, enabling researchers to trace patient outcomes and treatment pathways with exceptional granularity.
By leveraging trusted platforms and best practices, researchers can harness the full potential of data integration to drive innovation, inform policy, and ultimately improve care for all.
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