Table 5.

Data sources for real-world data

Categories	Examples
Main data sources	EMRs Insurance claims and payments Drug registries, disease registries Data generated by patients, including household use Data collected from other sources that report health conditions, such as mobile devices Health survey Medical institutions and clinicians Social media Pharmacy data Clinical database
Primary data	Healthcare services and clinical trials Data obtained from within medical institutions (e.g., clinical observations; procedures, tests, and prescribed drugs; and interviews, surveys, and QOL assessments) Data obtained outside medical institutions (e.g., community interviews or surveys; wearable devices; home measurement equipment for blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood oxygen; and patient-reported outcomes)
Secondary data	Medical records (paper, electronic) during individual patient care Medical care fee claims involving pecuniary exchange Data collected by the government on a daily basis (e.g., birth, death, marriage, divorce, and address details [in some countries]; vaccination records; results of disease screening; cancer registry; occupational health; and other)
Hybrid data	Data containing both primary and secondary data

EMR electronic medical record, QOL quality of life