OHDSI‑Boston Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics

OHDSI Boston

Real-world health evidence from Boston.

Routine medical care produces data that can answer important health questions. OHDSI Boston analyzes that data safely and makes the results public.

  • Questions
  • Studies
  • Federated analysis
  • Public evidence
  • Better questions

Join OHDSI Boston

Researchers, clinicians, patients, engineers, and data partners working together on real-world evidence.

Join OHDSI Boston

How it works

From question to evidence

Follow one question through the cycle.

01 · Questions

It starts with a question.

Patients want to know what to expect. Clinicians need to choose between treatments. Researchers need data to test a hypothesis.

  • Which treatment works best?
  • Is it safe?
  • Who benefits most?
02 · Study

The question becomes a study.

A written protocol defines the patients, the outcome, the analysis, and the checks that show whether the result can be trusted. Anyone can inspect it and run it again.

  • Cohorts
  • Outcomes
  • Analysis
  • Diagnostics
03 · Network

The study goes to the data.

Participating institutions store their records in the OMOP Common Data Model, so the same study code runs at every site. Each institution runs the analysis on its own systems, and patient data stays there.

  • Code travels
  • Analysis runs locally
  • Data stays put
04 · Results

Results are made public.

Each site returns aggregate results only: estimates, counts, and diagnostics. We publish them with the protocol and code so others can review and reproduce the work.

  • Aggregate results
  • Protocol
  • Code
  • Diagnostics
05 · Evidence base

Evidence builds over time.

Each study joins a growing body of evidence shared across the global OHDSI network. New results inform the next study, and earlier results can be revisited as methods improve.

  • Diseases
  • Treatments
  • Populations
  • Outcomes
  • Methods
06 · Next questions

Answers lead to better questions.

Published evidence shows what is known and where gaps remain. Those gaps become the next studies.

  • Ask
  • Study
  • Share
  • Repeat

Health data from the public, analyzed for the public. Evidence for today's questions and tomorrow's.

Who we are

A Boston community of OHDSI collaborators.

OHDSI Boston is open to anyone who wants to generate reliable evidence from real-world health data.

Who participates

  • Patients and advocates
  • Clinicians
  • Researchers, epidemiologists, and statisticians
  • Data engineers and software developers
  • Health systems and universities
  • Life sciences and technology companies

Our initial principles

  1. Public results

    Patient-level data stays private. Protocols, code, and aggregate results are public whenever possible.

  2. Patient-centered

    Patients help decide which questions to study.

  3. Federated

    Analyses go to the data. Sensitive records stay with each institution.

  4. Reproducible

    Every study can be inspected, rerun, and applied to other databases.

  5. Sustainable

    We are testing funding models that keep the evidence publicly available.

  6. Cumulative

    Each study adds to a shared evidence base.

Get involved

Join OHDSI Boston

Join researchers, clinicians, patients, engineers, and data partners working to generate real-world evidence for the public good.

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