📌 Caserta Data Linkage – Italy 🇮🇹

🔍 What is it?

The Caserta Data Linkage is an integrated healthcare database that connects hospital, primary care, and pharmacy data from the Caserta region in southern Italy. This database provides valuable real-world data (RWD) for conducting research in epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, and health outcomes, enabling comprehensive analysis of disease patterns, medication use, and healthcare service utilization.

📊 Key Features & Scope

📍 Geographical coverage: Caserta region, Italy 🇮🇹
🏥 Data type: Linked healthcare data (hospital records, primary care data, pharmacy claims)
🕒 Time coverage: Ongoing, with continuous updates
👥 Population covered: 1+ mo people
🔄 Longitudinal data: Enables tracking of patient health across multiple care settings
📈 Pathologies: Includes common conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, respiratory diseases, and infections

✅ Strengths & Best Use Cases

🌍 Regional coverage – Provides detailed healthcare data for the Caserta population
💊 Pharmacoepidemiology – Excellent for studying medication adherence, treatment pathways, and drug safety
📈 Disease epidemiology – Supports analysis of disease incidence, prevalence, and healthcare utilization
🚀 Cross-sector integration – Linked data offers a holistic view of patient care trajectories

⚠️ Limitations & Considerations

🏥 Limited national representativeness – Data is specific to the Caserta region. Laboratory test results, geriatric evaluations, and GP prescriptions are only available for a subset of the Caserta population

📉 Access restrictions – Requires formal approval from local health authorities (Caserta LHU).

📚 How to Access & Learn More

🔗 Access: Requires research proposals to be submitted to local health authorities in Caserta
🎓 Publications: link to relevant studies
📄 More info: Inspire