An additional reason underlined in the survey that has impeded the sharing of RWD are concerns surrounding data privacy, These concerns are far from unwarranted; in 2022, 51.9 million records were exposed by healthcare data breaches, and one 2022 IBM report found that healthcare breach costs have increased by 41.6% since 2020. However, there are steps hospitals and health systems can take to ensure data security while still prioritizing sharing data for clinical research. By investing in modern IT infrastructure, hospitals, and health systems can minimize resulting damages from a cyberattack. This includes encrypting data stored and transmitted, setting up data recovery and backup mechanisms, and implementing two-factor login authentication for those with access to information systems. Extensive workforce security training and security incident response plans will also maximize protection against cyberattacks.

While clinical data captured from real world settings continues to impact research and life sciences, it is also within the power of hospitals and health systems to best leverage its value and ultimately improve patient outcomes and inform treatment modalities. The healthcare industry is likely to continue grappling with issues that may make it challenging to prioritize the utilization of clinical data, but investments and a strategy to utilize this information will prepare hospitals to glean insights into hospital operations, advance health equity strategies, fund research, and deliver better, efficient care.


With the right measures and priorities, the healthcare industry will be able to overcome the obstacles typically associated with the management of clinical data and improve the standards for healthcare of patients nationwide.

About the author: Victor Wang is the SVP of data & research at Q-Centrix.

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