The EULAR´S repository of research databases

an initiative of the Standing Committee of Epidemiology and Health Services Research (SCHER)

Why a database of databases

  • There are probably hundreds of databases in the European rheumatology that are being used for research purposes.
  • Many of these databases have overlapping objectives.
  • Researchers are many times unaware of similar databases to theirs.
  • The impression of duplicity of resources and lack of real collaboration between European rheumatologists is the main rationale for this repository of databases under the EULAR umbrella.
  • In what ways is good to European rheumatologists
  1. Knowing what is being studied in Europe is a way to measure excellence and collaboration in research.
  2. Areas of excess or under research can be timely ascertained. It would therefore help to design research agendas.
  3. Many researchers would benefit from knowing that other groups may share an interest in a certain topic. This platform will help develop networks and collaborations by identification of potential collaborative projects.
  4. If databases share design, sampling and items in common, it may be very helpful to link databases and produce collaborative results for secondary objectives for which one single database is not powered enough.
  5. To know and to use old cohorts as historical cohorts, may help to compare practice changing or outcome.
  6. It will facilitate the comparison of data across countries.
  7. It is specially interesting for rare diseases, or even for diseases or problems not so rare but for which it is more difficult to get an adequate budget for research, such as lupus, or carpal tunnel syndrome, or temporary work disability, as compared to the budgets approved for rheumatoid arthritis projects.