Health Data Research UK has announced the launch of its Cohort Discovery service, a major new capability available through the Health Data Research Gateway that is set to transform how researchers identify and access UK health data.
The new service provides researchers with a faster, more efficient way to explore whether relevant patient cohorts exist across multiple datasets, helping to streamline the early stages of study design and feasibility assessment.
A faster starting point for research
For many researchers, one of the first and most challenging questions in planning a study is whether suitable data exists to support it. Traditionally, answering this has required time‑consuming processes, including contacting multiple data custodians and submitting speculative data access requests.
The Cohort Discovery service addresses this challenge directly. It enables users to run a single query across multiple datasets, providing near real‑time insights into the availability and size of relevant patient cohorts.
Improving efficiency and reducing uncertainty
By offering a clear view of what data is available before formal access requests are made, Cohort Discovery reduces unnecessary delays and administrative burden for both researchers and data custodians.
The service supports:
- Faster feasibility assessments, enabling researchers to quickly determine whether a study is viable
- More informed data access requests, improving the quality and relevance of applications
- Reduced speculative enquiries, saving time across the research ecosystem
Ultimately, this helps accelerate the journey from research idea to real‑world impact.
Secure, privacy-preserving design
A key feature of the Cohort Discovery service is its strong emphasis on data security and privacy. Queries are executed across pseudonymised datasets held within secure environments, and results are returned only as aggregated, non-identifiable counts.
Importantly, no individual-level data is accessed or moved during the process. Instead, the service uses a federated approach, allowing analyses to be performed securely within Trusted Research Environments.
This ensures that researchers can explore potential cohorts safely, while maintaining public trust and giving data custodians confidence in robust governance safeguards.
Enhancing the Health Data Research Gateway
The Cohort Discovery service is integrated into the Health Data Research Gateway, HDR UK’s national platform for discovering and accessing health datasets. The Gateway acts as a central entry point for researchers to explore data resources held across thousands of organisations in the UK.
By adding cohort-level querying capabilities, the new service represents a significant enhancement to the Gateway’s functionality, moving beyond simple dataset discovery to enable more advanced, user-driven exploration of data.
Looking ahead
The launch of Cohort Discovery marks another step forward in HDR UK’s mission to unite the UK’s health data and enable discoveries that improve people’s lives.
As the Cohort Discovery service continues to evolve, HDR UK aims to expand its capabilities and the range of datasets available, further enhancing its value to the research community.
Researchers can access the service via the Health Data Research Gateway, subject to approval, and begin exploring cohorts relevant to their work.
Data custodians can participate by onboarding their datasets and enabling cohort searches across them, helping to improve the quality and efficiency of research engagement. Visit the Support Centre to find out how to get started.
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