Medidata announced the launch of Medidata Link at NEXT Global 2021. Medidata Link is the only centralized solution to connect patient-level clinical trial data and real-world data (RWD) – powered by and fully integrated with the Medidata Unified Platform – providing any clinical trial run on Medidata Rave EDC (electronic data capture) the option to conduct data linkage. Medidata Link enables customers to generate a “token” to connect the patient’s clinical data in the Medidata Unified Platform to the industry’s broadest RWD ecosystem in a secure, compliant, and scalable manner. Medidata facilitates the de-identification process by providing a user-friendly collection process for Personally Identifiable Information (PII) through site-facing capabilities and the myMedidata patient portal. This creates a seamless integration with the rest of the clinical trial workflow and is agnostic of consent methods. The solution protects sponsors from the risks of directly holding PII, while streamlining third-party data privacy certifications so that only certified data is transferred to sponsors. Medidata is partnering with HealthVerity and Datavant to establish pre-built integrations to enable this de-identification and linkage to a broad RWD ecosystem. Medidata Link helps sponsors, trial sites, and patients to: Gain a head start in evidence generation: Begin collecting real-world patient-level data during the trial to jump-start evidence generation and patient insights; for completed trials, RWD sets can bolster patient-level data about specific participants, rather than waiting for general RWD to accumulate after launch. Enhance data collection beyond a single trial: Track longer-term patient outcomes, safety, and insights not captured within the finite period of the clinical trial, to generate evidence to support payor and provider discussions; fill gaps for unanticipated questions, or understand outcomes for patients lost to follow-up. Reduce patient and site burden: Reduce the need for burdensome follow-up visits, leading to lower patient attrition and reduced burden for sites.