GMV is a member of the European Harmony Project, developing the Big Data platform to help physicians take evidence-based decisions in diagnosing and treating blood diseases. At the Big/Open/Small Data in Healthcare conference, organized by Valencia University, a presentation was given of the breakthroughs achieved during the first six months of work.

Inmaculada Pérez Garro, Manager of GMV’s Eastern Region and Esteban Morcillo Sánchez , hematologist and co-leader of project research, explained how the first project phase “involved work on the design and implementation of a strategic communication plan to define priorities for designing the project’s action plan and ensure everyone is singing from the same songsheet”. At the same time “data has been collated from the diverse information sources while work has also been underway on ensuring data quality, standardization and abidance by a COMMON DATA MODEL”.

In the GMV manager’s words “we are only just starting and there is still some way to go. The project, after all, runs for five years and we aim to design an enduring platform that can keep up with the breathtaking rate of technological change over that period”. In coming months “thoroughgoing information will be compiled from thousands of anonymous patients and an identification will be made of the important information for evaluating the treatment of hematological malignancies”.

Harmony is a trailblazing project working under a new paradigm of across-the-board collaboration in the scientific world, driven by multidisciplinary participation of experts all inputting their own clinical, technological and legislative expertise and with the participation too of the pharmaceutical industry.