COHORTS

Acronym: COHORTS-HARMONISATION
Title: Prospective harmonization of variables through Common Data Elements – towards a core cohort dataset for cohort studies in the Netherlands
Keywords:  Prospective harmonisation, Common Data Elements, longitudinal cohort study, core data set, FAIR data
Project lead:  Dr. K.J. (Joeri) van der Velde
Start date: 01.09.2025
Ends on: 31.08.2027
Duration: 24 Months
Status: TDCC-LSH Programme Board & NWO approved

Public Summary​

Dutch long-term cohort studies monitor the health of large groups of people. They collect data differently, making combining data and doing research together difficult. This project aims to make data from Dutch long-term cohort studies more comparable. We will identify core study data, harmonize with existing best practices and add it to a national standard. This makes it easier for data from new cohorts to be used together for research. We also test whether our standard can be used for existing cohort studies and for specific disease areas, such as depression and diabetes. This project contributes to better data for research.

Responsible institution(s) and department(s)​

● University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG); Cohort and Biobank Coordination Hub (CBCH) and Genomics Coordination Center (GCC) department
● Amsterdam University Medical Center (AUMC), Department of Public and Occupational Health (DPOH), Department of Medical Informatics (KIK), Department of Research Data Management (RDM)
● University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care (JC) department
● Erasmus Medical Center (EMC), department Epidemiology (EPI), Netherlands Cohorts Consortium (NCC)
● Maastricht University Medical Center + (MUMC+); DataHub, Medische Informatie Technology (MIT); Klinische Epidemiologie en Medische Technology Assessment (KEMTA) department
● Health-RI, FAIR Data department