Secondary Data Sources
Beyond primary surveillance data, a vast amount of secondary data is available that can be used for AMR and AMU research in the Nordic countries.
Types of Secondary Data
Genomic and Metagenomic Datasets
- Publicly deposited in databases like the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA)
- Nordic countries have 2.96 sequence datasets per 1,000 humans vs. 0.38 globally
- See Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS)
Socio-economic and Environmental Variables
- National registries containing clinical, sociodemographic, and economic data
- Nordic countries have extensive nationwide registries on individuals
- Environmental variables that can serve as predictors for AMR
Pharmaceutical Industry Data
- Data generated by pharmaceutical and bioprospecting companies
- Not freely available but potentially valuable for AMR research
Cohort Studies
- Human cohort studies with health and demographic data
- Ethical and legal constraints may limit access
Benefits of Secondary Data Reuse
- Avoids time-consuming and costly sample collection
- Promotes efficient use of public funds
- Enables comprehensive monitoring of resistance trends
- Boosts statistical power through data integration
Challenges
- Data collected for a different purpose may lack relevant variables
- Unknown biases and errors in original data collection
- Lack of documentation
- Legal restrictions - some countries require domestic analysis of data generated within their borders
- GDPR compliance requires secure computing environments (see Legal and Ethical Considerations)
- Tension between strict security requirements and flexible research tools