This story is part of The Cancer Letter’s ongoing coverage of COVID-19’s impact on oncology. A full list of our coverage, as well as the latest meeting cancellations, is available here.

Real-world data is everywhere. During the COVID-19 global pandemic, we are literally generating, and collecting, real-world data every single day—from electronic health records, insurance claims, patient registries, and a myriad of other sources. But the question remains: how do we use this data to better understand, prevent, and treat this disease?

Data by itself does not tell us much.  Real-world data comes from many different places in so many different formats that it can be like looking at a computerized image blown up so that all you see is pixels. But, if you scale that image and examine it from a different angle, a full picture begins to emerge. Real-world data needs that same refinement to illustrate the full picture of clinical and patient experience, creating real-world evidence that informs clinical practice and disease management.

The Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA, in collaboration with Friends of Cancer Research, has launched the COVID-19 Evidence Accelerator specifically to move real-world data into real-world evidence. Working closely with FDA, the Evidence Accelerator brings together top experts in healthcare data and analytics to share insights, compare results, and answer key questions to inform the nation’s COVID-19 response.

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