Health Data Nexus: An Open Data Platform for AI Research and Education in Medicine

Abstract

We outline the development of the Health Data Nexus, a data platform which enables data storage and access management with a cloud-based computational environment. We describe the importance of this secure platform in an evolving public sector research landscape that utilizes significant quantities of data, particularly clinical data acquired from health systems, as well as the importance of providing meaningful benefits for three targeted user groups: data providers, researchers, and educators. We then describe the implementation of governance practices, technical standards, and data security and privacy protections needed to build this platform, as well as example use-cases highlighting the strengths of the platform in facilitating dataset acquisition, novel research, and hosting educational courses, workshops, and datathons. Finally, we discuss the key principles that informed the platform's development, highlighting the importance of flexible uses, collaborative development, and open-source science.