Sharing individual participant data: through a systematic reviewer lens

Area of Science:

• Clinical Trials Data Sharing
• Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
• Health Data Science

Background:

• Growing availability of individual participant data (IPD) from clinical trials through various data-sharing models.
• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses increasingly leverage IPD for enhanced research rigor.

Discussion:

• Assessment of diverse IPD data-sharing models, including traditional, topic-based repositories, and generic data platforms.
• Evaluation of the utility and challenges of current models from the perspective of experienced IPD reviewers.
• Identification of limitations in newer models that hinder the full realization of IPD advantages for meta-analysis.

Key Insights:

• Not all contemporary data-sharing platforms fully support the benefits of IPD for meta-analysis.
• Specific solutions are proposed to enhance both the quantity and utility of shared IPD.
• A unified and standardized approach is crucial for an optimal clinical data-sharing environment.

Outlook:

• Need for collaboration among data providers, requestors, funders, and platforms to establish a standardized data-sharing ecosystem.
• Potential for improved data quantity and utility through proposed solutions.
• Facilitating IPD meta-analysis and other secondary research purposes through a joined-up approach.