Use of Routinely Collected Registry Data for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical Education in Denmark.

Abstract

Medical education needs to evolve continuously to meet the new requirements created by the everchanging medical landscape [1]. Changes in patient demographics, comorbidity burden, knowledge, and expectations regarding involvement in treatment decision-making make future patients different from previous ones [1,2]. Also, the development of new technologies, increased specialisation anticipations, and expectations regarding work-life balance demand a new skill set from future physicians [1]. It is thus important to align both the undergraduate and postgraduate medical education with the requirements of the next generation of physicians and patient needs, where research based on big data will be essential [1]. Denmark has a long tradition of epidemiological research [3]. Thanks to the routinely collected administrative and health data in its national registries [4] and the many established clinical quality databases [5], Denmark holds a large potential for population-based research. This review aims to summarise (1) the Danish healthcare system and its types of registry data, (2) the Danish undergraduate and postgraduate medical education including their research training elements, and (3) the advantages and disadvantages of using registry data in medical education.