From documentation to discovery: clinicians’ perspectives on the generation, usability and standardization of real-world data

BACKGROUND: Real-world data (RWD) are increasingly recognized as essential for understanding patient populations underrepresented in clinical trials and for supporting data-driven learning in healthcare. For smaller subgroups, the value of RWD depends on standardization and interoperability that enable meaningful reuse across institutions. This study examines how clinicians perceive the reuse and standardization of RWD within a federated Learning Health System (LHS), with emphasis on data quality, clinical relevance, and implications for continuous learning. METHODS: A qualitative case study was conducted at Oslo University Hospital, informed by Learning Health System theory. Ten oncologists representing seven cancer subspecialties participated in focused, semi structured interviews. Data were analyzed using the stepwise deductive inductive (SDI) method to support empirically grounded conceptual development. The study was situated in the hospital's implementation of the OMOP Common Data Model (CDM) for oncology data. RESULTS: Clinicians highlighted the value of RWD for capturing patient groups often excluded from clinical trials. They described substantial variation in documentation practices, noting that clinically relevant information is frequently unstructured or inconsistently recorded. Time constraints and uncertainty about documentation requirements were identified as barriers to data quality. When reviewing data transformed into the OMOP CDM, participants generally found the mappings accurate but expressed concerns about loss of nuance and semantic drift. Across interviews, there was strong support for involving domain experts in validation and for using standardized data to enable collaboration and learning across institutions. CONCLUSIONS: RWD can strengthen oncology practice by supporting insights into diverse patient populations and enabling continuous learning. Standardization through models such as OMOP CDM facilitates reuse and cross institutional collaboration, but success depends on structured documentation, semantic fidelity, clinician engagement, and robust technical infrastructure. These findings underscore the sociotechnical conditions required to realize the potential of RWD within emerging frameworks such as the European Health Data Space.