German Cardiovascular Collaborative Cohorts within the DZHK (G-CCC@DZHK)

Harmonisation and linking data (sources) between different studies, and IT systems are becoming increasingly important within clinical research projects. Gathering information on suitable data e.g. for meta-analysis, validation cohorts, or case-control studies is time-consuming. However, up to now, only project-specific solutions exist. These solutions are often accompanied by large efforts regarding administration, data quality assurance and data preparation for collaborative analyses. This was the motivation for a joint initiative by several German cohort studies (HCHS, SHIP, GHS, KORA, BeLOVE) within the DZHK to evaluate concepts for the creation of a common research platform with clear harmonisation standards and definitions, and to develop a use-case scenario for applications within the DZHK. The outcome of the present initiative shall be a common research platform available to all members of the DZHK: German Collaborative Cardiovascular Cohorts at DZHK (G-CCC@DZHK).