Researchers seek to simplify transfers of EU health data

In a piece for Nature Medicine, science and medical researchers outlined the need to ease data transfer barriers on health data sharing outside the EU for research purposes. The group argued COVID-19 has shown "international collaborations and global data sharing are essential for health research," but current restrictions on data sharing for non-pandemic-related data may bring "damaging effects." They noted the high threshold for anonymized data under the EU General Data Protection Regulation as a key hurdle to obtaining useful data. Editor's note: A recent IAPP article explored issues around global transfers of epidemiological data.