Data Sharing and Global Public Health: Defining What We Mean by Data
Nina Schwalbe, Brian Wahl, Jingyi Song, Susanna Lehtimaki
Abstract
Improved information technology infrastructure and the widespread availability of mobile phones have contributed to an unprecedented amount of data produced globally each year. Data relevant to medicine and public health are being generated from a range of sources, including individuals (i.e., through social media and internet-connected devices), public and private health systems, and health researchers. These data are increasingly digitized and critical for the development of new health interventions, in particular those that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve health outcomes (1, 2). Recognizing that pooling and sharing data can accelerate innovation, there have been several calls in recent years to make data available as a global public good for health as part of a set of collective actions that are global in scope and required to address transnational health challenges (3, 4).