General details
EDIHs involved
Customer
Customer size: Small mid-cap (250-499)
Challenges
Papageorgiou General Hospital, a pioneer in the Greek Public Health sector, required assistance managing the health data of millions of patients, data that had been collected over the last 20 years, this predominant need was identified and handled by CERTH, partner of smartHEALTH.
Hospitals are a valuable source of Real-World Data (RWD), meaning data that comes from daily clinical practice and can be used to support research, improve healthcare services, and develop innovative solutions. As part of promoting the secondary use of RWD, the global initiative OHDSI (Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics) has been developed, which promotes the interoperability of health data, enabling data providers (such as hospitals and insurance organizations) to participate in Observational Studies through a federated approach. Specifically, by using tools from the OHDSI community, data is not transferred outside the original host organization (a process that entails many legal and procedural challenges); but the research question and its aggregated results are moved. This initiative significantly simplifies processes and enables the execution of Large-Scale Observational Studies without necessarily sharing the original data (Federated Approach). For this purpose, the OMOP-CDM [Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM)] technical standard has been developed.
Papageorgiou General Hospital, as a valuable source of Real-World Data, has participated in many research initiatives in recent years, aiming to explore ways of utilizing these data. Recognizing that the interoperability of a database is a critical factor, the hospital has already transformed the majority of its database according to the OMOP-CDM standard. However, after communicating with the hospital’s IT department it become evident that they were in need of improving the effective utilization of RWD and the enhancement of its interoperability with corresponding European data sources.
Solutions
The eHealth lab of INAB|CERTH, taking into account the results of the Digital Maturity Assessment questionnaire and discussions with the IT department staff of Papageorgiou General Hospital, provided specialized services for the analysis and management of RWD. The eHealth lab is the Greek national node in the European OHDSI network, and it is also technically trained for the adoption and utilization of the OMOP-CDM standard. Therefore, the collaboration between the two parties was the optimal choice for guiding the hospital in the qualitative assessment of the adoption of the OMOP-CDM standard and understanding the data it possesses.
A collaboration was agreed upon for the installation and management of a standard data analysis platform in the OMOP-CDM format, the ATLAS platform, with the goal of exploring opportunities to participate in relevant Observational Studies utilizing RWD. ATLAS platform, is a web-based tool from the OHDSI ecosystem designed for the analysis and visualization of standardized health data. Once installed, the eHealth Lab provided consulting sessions to hospital staff on how to utilize ATLAS for defining cohorts, designing observational studies, and generating descriptive statistics. The platform’s implementation significantly enhanced the hospital’s capability to participate in federated research studies, empowering researchers to conduct Real-World Evidence (RWE) analyses without requiring direct data sharing.
Additionally, the hospital's integration into DARWIN EU (Data Analysis and Real-World Interrogation Network) was decided. DARWIN EU is an initiative of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) aimed at utilizing RWD. The DARWIN EU network connects data providers (such as hospitals, research institutes, and universities) based on their compliance with the OMOP-CDM standard. Through this structure, DARWIN EU can federate data (without transferring sensitive information), promoting transparency and protecting privacy
Results and Benefits
The first and most significant outcome of the collaboration was the analysis of the data quality at the General Hospital Papageorgiou, which had already been transformed into the OMOP-CDM standard. Under the guidance of the eHealth Lab, extensive quality checks were performed, revealing the completeness, consistency, and accuracy of the data, while deviations were identified and corrected, ensuring the database's compliance with the OHDSI community standards. The results of these checks strengthened the reliability of the data and highlighted the hospital as a trustworthy data provider for future research collaborations.
The installation and configuration of the ATLAS platform was a milestone for the hospital. With the integration of ATLAS, the hospital gained the ability to actively participate in research questions, autonomously design observational studies, and maximize the utilization of its data. Furthermore, with the support of the eHealth Lab, the hospital successfully completed the necessary tests and actively participated in the "MegaStudy," demonstrating its technological proficiency and research capabilities in the use of Real-World Data (RWD).
Finally, the collaboration revealed the strategic opportunity for the General Hospital Papageorgiou to participate in the European DARWIN network, which supports decision-making in public health issues and drug regulatory approval. Participation in DARWIN will not only enhance the scientific reputation of the hospital but also provide economic benefits, as the studies are accompanied by corresponding funding.
With the completion of this collaboration, the General Hospital Papageorgiou:
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Established its reputation as a center of excellence in RWD management and analysis, making it a reference point for other hospitals in Greece.
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Gained expertise, expanding its scientific capability and its ability to meet the demands of multi-center studies.
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Enhanced its autonomy in conducting and analyzing research, contributing significantly to the advancement of public health.
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Opened new prospects for participation in international research networks, solidifying its position in research and the use of RWD.
Perceived social/economic impact
Through its participation in the smartHEALTH Hub, Papageorgiou General Hospital has established itself as a reference center in the secondary use of real-world data (RWD). By enabling comprehensive data analysis, the hospital contributes to evidence-based medicine, leading to better clinical decision-making, enhanced patient safety, and optimized treatment strategies. Additionally, access to high-quality RWD supports large-scale epidemiological studies and strengthens regulatory assessments, benefiting public health.
Beyond scientific advancements, the hospital’s involvement in smartHEALTH also has significant economic implications. As a trusted source of high-quality RWD, it becomes an attractive partner for the pharmaceutical industry, contract research organizations (CROs), and regulatory bodies. Its capacity to provide data for observational studies, drug safety evaluations, and health technology assessments strengthens its position in data-driven healthcare.
Participation in DARWIN further enhances the hospital’s role in the European research ecosystem, increasing its visibility and credibility. Additionally, the studies coordinated under DARWIN will provide financial benefits, as such large-scale research initiatives are often linked to funding for data provision and analysis. More importantly, Papageorgiou General Hospital's integration into DARWIN aligns it with the European Health Data Space (EHDS)—a Regulation establishing a unified regulation for secure and efficient health data sharing across Europe. By adhering to EHDS, the hospital ensures compliance with evolving regulations and enhances its capacity for pan-European research collaborations. This alignment strengthens its role in digital health transformation, leveraging cross-border data for improved clinical outcomes and policy development.
These factors foster new research collaborations, funding opportunities, and ensure long-term sustainability, reinforcing the hospital’s impact on RWD utilization.
Measurable data
As this case concerns technical support and guidance for infrastructure development, particularly regarding data quality assessment and preparation for participation in observational studies, direct measurable outcomes (such as clinical results or financial indicators) are not applicable at this stage. However, notable achievements of this collaboration include the successful completion of comprehensive data quality checks on the hospital’s dataset transformed into the OMOP-CDM standard, the identification and resolution of data inconsistencies, and the installation and configuration of the ATLAS platform. Furthermore, the hospital successfully met all necessary technical requirements to participate in international studies, such as the OHDSI MegaStudy, and has initiated procedures to join the DARWIN EU network. These actions have established the hospital’s readiness to contribute high-quality Real-World Data to future large-scale research initiatives and serve as a foundation for measurable impact through upcoming studies and collaborations.
DMA score and results - Stage 0
The T0 Digital Maturity Assessment (DMA), conducted prior to the provision of services, indicated an overall digital maturity level of 66% for Papageorgiou General Hospital. The assessment highlighted specific strengths in areas such as data management and security, human-centric digitalisation, and green digitalisation, where the hospital demonstrated well-established processes and a high level of maturity. Additionally, the hospital showed satisfactory preparedness in digital readiness.
Conversely, the primary area for improvement was identified in interoperability (31%), reflecting the need to enhance systems integration and alignment with international standards to facilitate seamless data exchange. This finding directly informed the focus of the provided services, which aimed to strengthen the hospital’s interoperability capacities through the adoption of the OMOP-CDM standard and active participation in relevant research networks.
DMA score and results – Stage 1
Following the completion of the provided services, the T1 Digital Maturity Assessment (DMA) demonstrated a notable increase in Papageorgiou General Hospital’s overall digital maturity, rising from 66% to 74%. Improvements were recorded across most dimensions, reflecting the positive impact of the technical support and capacity-building activities delivered through the collaboration. Particularly, The T1 DMA confirmed a measurable improvement in the hospital's interoperability, which increased from 31% to 44% following the completion of the provided services. This progress directly reflects the targeted support delivered throughout the collaboration, which focused on enhancing the hospital’s capacity to manage, standardize, and utilize its health data according to international interoperability standards.
Through the adoption of the OMOP-CDM model, the execution of comprehensive data quality assessments, and the installation and configuration of the ATLAS platform, the hospital established the necessary technical foundation to participate in federated observational studies and international research networks, such as DARWIN EU. These activities addressed key gaps identified in the initial assessment, improving both the structural and operational aspects of interoperability within the hospital's digital ecosystem.
While further development is required to achieve full interoperability, the collaboration significantly advanced the hospital's readiness to securely share and utilize Real-World Data (RWD) at a European level, marking an important step in its digital transformation and alignment with the objectives of the European Health Data Space (EHDS).
Lessons learned
This collaboration highlighted the importance of regular and honest communication between the two parties. Continuous weekly communication allowed for the immediate recognition and resolution of potential problems and difficulties. Similarly, another importance aspect that contributed to the success of this collaboration was the creation of an indicative timeline to help track and advance milestones.
One of the main challenges identified in this case was the coordination and scheduling of common meeting times, which was aggravated due to the busy schedule of the IT department staff. However, despite these difficulties, the opportunity to be flexible when selecting the dates helped streamline the process.
Our main advice for both, other service providers and clients, is to properly invest in staff preparation before the collaboration begins, to maintain continuous communication between both parties and to schedule regular meetings to assess progress and identify difficulties. Additionally, it is important to remember, that offering flexible solutions for addressing technical or procedural challenges is crucial.
This collaboration was a beneficial experience for both parties. On one hand, the service recipients were able to leverage the wealth of the data they possess, on the other, the service provider was able to test and apply research knowledge and expertise in the real-world setting of a hospital.
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