Cataloguing and evaluating Irish health data resources for primary care cancer research.

Abstract

Background: In Ireland, cancer is a leading cause of mortality. Optimising primary care cancer research is crucial for better patient outcomes and healthcare policies. This study identifies Irish health data resources relevant to primary care cancer research, addressing a gap in understanding data availability and utility to enhance cancer care.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive review of Irish health data resources across multiple platforms, including a broad data search, expert consultations, literature review, and data synthesis. An expert roundtable refined our findings.

Results: Our review identified 39 data resources, including national registries, biobanks, and health system audits. We noted varying levels of data accessibility and comprehensiveness, with several datasets offering significant potential. Emergent themes focused on data quality and practical utility to address specific primary care cancer research questions.

Conclusion: This review provides a foundational resource for primary care cancer researchers in Ireland, highlighting available data, potential gaps, and challenges. The resulting data catalogue will guide future research, supporting evidence-based strategies and advancing health informatics and cancer research.

Highlights: This comprehensive review identifies and evaluates a diverse range of Irish health data resources, establishing a foundational catalogue for advancing primary care cancer research in Ireland. The study highlights significant gaps in data accessibility and utility, underlining the need for enhanced data integration and linkage to improve research outcomes and healthcare strategies. Our findings provide a roadmap for policymakers and researchers, recommending the optimisation of existing datasets to support evidence-based cancer care strategies and inform future healthcare improvements in Ireland.