Datavant’s next step toward solving global data fragmentation

Data fragmentation in healthcare is not a single problem.

It is a set of problems equivalent to the number of data silos across healthcare. In the US, the average health system deals with 16 different EMR providers, and data is collected in many formats through thousands of different points of collection. Healthcare providers must overcome multiple barriers to achieve complete interoperability. Most participants in the healthcare ecosystem are still a long way from reaching this goal.

In the US, Datavant has helped thousands of organizations make leaps and bounds in health data connectivity. Datavant connects the health data of over 500 real-world data partners, 2,200 hospitals, and 15,000 clinics but we’ve only scratched the surface. The problem of health data fragmentation is a global one. To truly connect the world’s health data, we must solve the challenge of data fragmentation in every region of the world.

In September, Datavant acquired UK-based Convenet. Convenet has built the world’s first National Health Service (NHS-England) approved API that enables integrations into the NHS Spine. This capability allows an authorized requestor to retrieve a patient’s medical record from the NHS regardless of where that record is actually stored. Convenet founders Andrew Bailey and Chris Turner have funneled focus on building a piece of critical infrastructure that successfully connects many of the health data silos in the UK.

?Working with identified patient data in the UK is an exciting first step in this journey, but it is the first of many we must take. To enable secure access to this data to power critical research and dozens of other use cases, we must also de-identify it. Anonymizing the record enables secure sharing and linkage to other data sources containing rich patient health information. Integrating the Convenet API with Datavant’s core tokenization technology brings the best of both companies to market. Our new UK team is growing to meet those challenges with the same focus and drive that Chris and Andrew brought to creating that company. At Datavant we have a a unique culture comprised of people who are smart, nice and get things done. If you want to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime transformation in healthcare, take a look at our open positions.?

One of the most powerful uses of connected health data is clinical research. Linkage of trials to real-world patient data offers insight into long-term safety and effectiveness. It can also explain side effects and potentially why some patients respond well to a new therapy and others do not.? In the U.S. we have already tokenized more than 70 trials, across most-every major large pharma company. Our international partners, including BMS and J&J, are eager to realize the potential of internationally tokenized clinical trials. Convenet is our first step towards that goal.

Datavant’s De-identified Switchboard enables these linkages. It was designed to comply with US privacy regulations. For Datavant’s connectivity platform to expand internationally, we will engage with other countries’ health data infrastructure and various implementations of GDPR rules. In each region, we’ll be seeking new partners, like Convenet, who are building new competencies, and drawing on the expertise of groups like Privacy Hub by Datavant to demonstrate that this work can be done securely, and compliantly.?

Our infrastructure powers use cases that were far-fetched ideas just a few years ago, and there are many more on the horizon. We are growing an exceptional team of folks who are smart, nice, and get things done, both within the US and the UK to realize these goals. If you are interested in joining us on this remarkable journey, be in touch.