Data sharing across sectors has been feasible for a period of time now. It’s not prohibited by technical issues but instead by other obstacles such as ethical, social, and legal issues.

Healthcare data sharing needs an infrastructure to support it.

That infrastructure should provide functionality, transparency, and data security. All the stakeholders must commit to making it work.

One of the greatest obstacles to sharing data can be a lack of trust. Other barriers include the cost of the data and how it ends up used.

During the pandemic some providers have started sharing their data on COVID-19. The HCA healthcare system in Nashville, Tennessee has collected data on its COVID patients since March 1, 2020.

They were approached by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and asked if they wanted to collaborate on a long term basis. The aim was to provide information that could be be used to provide a greater understanding of the nature of COVID-19.

HCA were able to offer access to their data to help build on AHRQ´s existing knowledge. Due to the urgency of the pandemic, trust is being built quicker among HCA and other such external research organizations. The potential of adding other health systems to contribute their data is also being actively looked into.

Another large health data sharing project is the N3C. Sponsored by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, the goal of this group is to gather data on people that have COVID. Looking at their medical information dating back from 2018 should help them get a better understanding of the virus.

Currently 197 organizations are using the data.

It includes 1.2 million COVID patients’ electronic health records, in addition to control patients who haven’t had COVID. The data provides a wide range of data covering all sectors of the population, in cities and more rural areas as well as ethnicity, and race. Around 2,000 people have contributed to the database. The pandemic has been terrible but it’s also shown how people and organisations can work together for a common good.

The database raises issues with regards to who can use that data however. The database includes healthcare data from a wide range of sources. If an organisation is looking at the data for a specific purpose can they look at other parts of the data which isn’t necessarily relevant to their needs?

Patient privacy is another issue which almost always raises its head when it comes to discussions like these.

Many organisations have already put out guidelines and codes of conduct for using data and the implications and procedures are being looked at.

Whilst there are still problems to iron out, the US has come a long way with health data in a relatively short time. 5 or 6 years ago less than 50% of the country had functional electronic health records. These days that number significantly higher. There is still a long way to go with the main challenge being the fragmentation of the industry.

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There is evidence of coordination across different agencies but it is not good enough to meet the needs of those who need it who are outside of the loop.

A report has recommended the creation of a “national climate information system”. This will be conducted with federal leadership, data and quality assurance guidelines.

The Democrats put forward a similar recommendation last Summer to establish a central portal of climate risk information. Republicans were unhappy about creating new federal infrastructure however.

It is not intended to be just further bureaucracy however and will be invaluable for its intended users.

A variety of federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, academic centers and personal sector institutions can provide climate-related information. That variety may however also create confusion about which data is acceptable in any given situation.

It is currently very confusing for people to get the information from so many different sources. It’s therefore important that there is coordination across federal agencies so everyone receives the identical information.

It should serve as a point of contact to direct people to the information they need.

Microsoft and the ODI have also been working to create open, trustworthy data sharing and collaboration. Together they have conducted research into climate change to spot priority areas for increased access via data through data collaborations.

They are working with experts to analyse the data ecosystem. They aim to review how data is shared and used. Also existing collaborations and the challenges and opportunities that increasing access to data in these areas could lead on to.

A sustainable recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic is important in addressing climate change.

Governments around the world are looking at various measures to ensure transformation to a net-zero emissions economy.

The plan is to bring together datasets on the economy, society and work, population and health, agriculture, transport and tourism, and energy. This should bring significant benefits to the investment and policy decisions needed for recovery.

Improving energy efficiency for buildings which account for a third of all global energy emissions is obviously a huge task. Data sharing on climate change with regards to data on building characteristics and energy could result in significant improvements in their energy consumption.

Improving water resource management

The world’s water supplies are increasingly in danger from climate change. This makes collaboration regarding the management of water as a shared resource even more imperative. Collaborative approaches will ensure that water is available for both people and the world’s ecosystems.

Reducing the climate impact of urban transportation

Cities around the world are trying to develop solutions to transition towards more climate-friendly transport systems. Data sharing models could accelerate the progress of cities towards achieving the Paris Agreement goals.

Reducing waste

11 billion metric tonnes of solid waste generated per year creates pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Ensuring that high-quality data is available will help to reduce waste and corresponding emissions.

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