The Centre for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS): Linking Health and Social Data in Brazil

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Informatics
• Data Science

Background:

• Established in 2016 in Salvador, Bahia-Brazil, CIDACS aims to integrate data and knowledge for health research.
• Addresses the need for high-quality, linked health data in Brazil.

Purpose of the Study:

• Detail CIDACS's establishment and operational experiences.
• Highlight efforts in obtaining high-quality linked data.
• Emphasize adherence to security, ethical use, and privacy standards.

Main Methods:

• Implementing robust structures, procedures, and controls for original and integrated databases.
• Focusing on data linkage and quality assurance.
• Ensuring compliance with ethical and privacy regulations.

Main Results:

• Development of a framework for secure and ethical health data integration.
• Creation of adequate datasets for answering relevant research questions.
• Establishment of operational procedures for data management.

Conclusions:

• CIDACS is positioned as a key resource for health research in Brazil.
• The center will support investigations into social determinants of health.
• CIDACS will facilitate the analysis of social and environmental policy effects on health outcomes nationwide.