Research Data Center for Health Launches in Berlin to Boost Medical Research with Secure Data Access
The FDZ Gesundheit in Berlin has started operations, granting researchers secure access to extensive statutory health insurance data from 2009 to 2023 to drive medical research and healthcare improvements.
- • FDZ Gesundheit officially opened in Berlin with data from 2009-2023 of GKV-insured individuals.
- • Researchers and pharmaceutical companies can now apply for data access to support drug development and healthcare research.
- • Federal Health Minister Nina Warken emphasized strict data protection and planned integration of electronic patient records.
- • The center is staffed by about 20 employees managing data requests, with flexibility to expand.
- • Health insurers and oncologists see the data as key to improving disease management and personalized therapies.
Key details
The Research Data Center for Health (FDZ Gesundheit) officially started operations in Berlin, offering researchers unprecedented access to a vast repository of pseudonymized billing data from all statutory health insurance (GKV) insured individuals from 2009 to 2023. This milestone, managed by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and staffed by around 20 employees, aims to enhance healthcare research and improve patient outcomes through sophisticated data utilization.
Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) emphasized the center’s commitment to stringent data protection and privacy, coordinating with authorities to ensure the highest security standards. Warken also outlined plans to incorporate electronic patient record (ePA) data into the system starting next year, with voluntary patient data contributions anticipated by October 2026.
The FDZ presents a critical resource for diverse stakeholders: pharmaceutical companies are keen to analyze drug effectiveness and side effects, particularly for rare diseases, while oncologists like Michael Hallek highlight the importance of high-quality patient data for advancing diagnostics and personalized therapies. Health insurers foresee leveraging the extensive data—covering 75 million insured persons and 600 million cases—to enhance prevention programs and optimize disease management, potentially generating significant cost savings.
Researchers from academia and industry can now apply for data access, subject to approval based on specific criteria. The availability of real-world, comprehensive health data marks a new era in German health research, with the potential to accelerate drug development and improve healthcare delivery sustainably.