The Health Data Research Gateway (the ‘Gateway’) enables researchers to discover, explore and access health and health-related data, software, research analysis, publications, diseases, phenotypes and other shareable resources.  

Making data discoverable through the Gateway helps Data Custodians make data FAIR (Findable, Discoverable, Interoperable and Re-usable).  To date, more than 860 metadata descriptions (Datasets) from 70+ Data Custodians have been uploaded to the Gateway, along with 2500+ registered Users and over 1000 Data Uses added to the Gateway Data Use Register.  

Facilitating discovery and understanding of available data resources 

As a Data Custodian, making Dataset descriptions (metadata) discoverable through the Gateway will reach a significant and growing community of researchers and users from across academia and industry.  

Making other data resources, such as Publications, Analysis Scripts & Software available through the Gateway will enable users to identify linkages between resources to support their full research journey.  

The Gateway can also integrate with existing metadata catalogues, so that metadata and other resources can be surfaced automatically and only a single source of truth needs to be maintained. 

Ready to get started by onboarding resources to the Gateway? Get in touch with the HDR UK Technology Team here

Supporting the management of Data Access Requests through a single online interface and streamlined process 

The Gateway provides a standardised, online Data Access Request (DAR) process (based on the 5 Safes Framework) for users and researchers to request access to datasets surfaced via the Gateway.  

Registered users can submit feasibility enquiries about your data resources to your team. Enquiries can be responded to quickly and easily via email.  

If you would like to find out more about managing enquiries and requests from the Gateway, get in touch with us here.  

Improving transparency in the use of health data for research  

The Gateway Data Use Register allows Data Custodians to publicly show how their datasets are being used, who is using them and for what purpose.  

Data Custodians can easily surface approved projects which have used their data via an online interface and template, aligned to the Five Safes Framework. Individual data uses can be edited, updated and archived as a project progresses. 

Data Use Registers are a key component of improving transparency and trust in the use of health data for research – they allow patients and members of the public to see and feel confident in how patient data is being requested. They are also very useful for researchers and funders to see what datasets have been made available for research. The development of a Data Use Register standard is part of an ongoing project – led by the UK Health Data Research Alliance.

Find out more about the Gateway’s Data Use Register here or get in touch with the HDR UK Technology team.  

The Alliance

Over 50 members UK Health Data Research Alliance have surfaced metadata and other resources on the Health Data Research Gateway. Becoming a member of the Alliance presents opportunities to adopt national best practice and align processes with other UK Data Custodians. To can find out more, click here.