Strengthening real-world evidence in Germany together with OHDSI
Data4Life supports the OHDSI Germany community to advance the responsible use of health data for research. Our goal is to help build sustainable, interoperable structures that enable high-quality Real-World Evidence across institutions. As a non-profit, we contribute neutral coordination, technical expertise, and long-term commitment to strengthen a community that has been growing since 2021 and plays a key role in the adoption of the OMOP Common Data Model in Germany.
Key facts
- Established in 2014
- Contributors from academia, regulatory agencies, health systems, and industry
- Hundreds of collaborative studies per year, including with EMA, FDA, and WHO
- More at: www.ohdsi.org
You don´t know the OHDSI community yet?
The Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI, pronounced “Odyssey”) is a global, open-science community that aims to improve health through large-scale observational research.
At the heart of OHDSI lies the OMOP Common Data Model (CDM), which enables the harmonization of real-world health data from different sources. This allows data to be analyzed consistently across institutions and countries, while protecting privacy and sovereignty.
Our role in OHDSI Germany
Supporting a growing community with structure, capacity, and Connectivity
OHDSI Germany has evolved into an established community since 2021. Data4Life has been an active member for several years and is now joining as an additional co-lead alongside the existing leads. Our focus is not to redefine the community but to reinforce what already works. We contribute dedicated capacity for coordination, community development, and the expansion of exchange and learning formats. We help connect national and international OHDSI activities, bring together new and existing community members, and bridge technology with real-world application in research settings. By doing so, we aim to lower barriers for organisations adopting OMOP and support the wider use of interoperable standards in Germany’s research ecosystem.
What this brings to health research
Interoperability, quality, and sustainable research impact
Our engagement strengthens the interoperability of health data across institutions and enhances the international comparability of German research. With OMOP at the core, researchers gain access to a standardised, scalable foundation for reliable Real-World Evidence. As a trusted, non-profit partner without commercial interests, Data4Life facilitates collaboration with public and academic organisations and helps foster an open, cooperative research environment. This aligns with our platform’s mission: enabling the responsible use of health data while ensuring quality, transparency, and long-term value for health research in Germany.
Aligned with our platform vision
Data4Life’s research platform Data2Evidence (D2E) is designed to be OHDSI-compatible from the ground up:
Get Involved: Are you a researcher, clinician, or policymaker interested in using OMOP or joining OHDSI Germany?
- Join our community events and working groups
- Participate in network studies
- Collaborate on infrastructure projects
- Bring your use case ideas into the network
