Analytics leader SAS is increasing its support of COVID researchers through new, free analytics training options. A year ago, SAS provided free use of health care analytics software for users of the COVID-19 Research Database (CRD), a secure repository of HIPAA-compliant, de-identified and limited patient-level data sets. Organized by Datavant, the database is available to public health and policy researchers to further investigate COVID-19 and its impact on health care and socio-economic outcomes.

Supported by a cross-industry partnership of health care and technology organizations, the CRD represents the largest pro bono COVID data resource and research environment available to researchers and policymakers. The database pulls in data from electronic health records, medical and pharmacy claims, and mortality, consumer and other data sets, covering more than 300 million individuals and 85 billion records.

More than 2,800 researchers have registered for access to the COVID-19 Research Database, and over 200 research projects are currently underway. To help more researchers use SAS^® Analytics in their work, SAS has created a virtual learning environment (VLE) for database users. The VLE is a free training environment that includes courses and live seminars to help upgrade investigators' data analytic skills, whatever the level of prior data and coding experience. Not exclusive to SAS users, the VLE will help all researchers.

Empowering public health with resources and expertise

As the pandemic abates, SAS technology and health experts are helping organizations recover and reimagine public health through SAS COVID-19 Resource Hub. SAS public health experts have organized the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) conference a roundtable session on Monday, June 14, at 2:15 ET to discuss how agencies can navigate major data modernization decisions during the COVID recovery period to restructure the landscape of public health. The session captures a vision of the future of epidemiology. Health Pulse podcast on June 11 will feature Dana Bernson, epidemiologist and Director of Special Analytic Projects at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.