What are National Nodes in OHDSI Europe?
National Nodes are regional hubs — collections of research institutes, data partners, hospitals, SMEs, and other stakeholders — within a member country. Each Node is overseen by a lead institute, aligning with OHDSI Europe’s mission to empower collaborative research and advance usage of the OMOP Common Data Model. ([ohdsi-europe.org](https://www.ohdsi-europe.org/index.php/national-nodes?utm_source=openai))
How do they function?
Nodes facilitate national collaboration, data standardization, and knowledge sharing. They host regular meetings, support OMOP CDM transformations and data quality work, organize workshops, engage policy makers, and help launch observational studies. ([ohdsi-europe.org](https://ohdsi-europe.org/index.php/national-nodes/denmark?utm_source=openai))
Learn MoreOHDSI Denmark
Led by Zealand University Hospital’s Center for Surgical Science, the Danish Node advances OMOP adoption, coordinates data partners from public health registries, hospitals, and research institutions, and promotes clinical-grade evidence-based research. ([ohdsi-europe.org](https://ohdsi-europe.org/index.php/national-nodes/denmark?utm_source=openai))
OHDSI Belgium
Belgium’s Node emphasizes FAIR data practices, community-driven mapping initiatives (hospital claims, labs, and pharmaceutical data), and supports collaborative working groups to empower stakeholders across academia, government, and industry. ([ohdsi-europe.org](https://www.ohdsi-europe.org/index.php/national-nodes/belgium?utm_source=openai))
OHDSI Ireland
The all-island Irish Node (led by eHealth-Hub for Cancer) builds alliances across universities, hospitals, regulators, and pharma. Its work includes growing stakeholder engagement, developing real-world evidence studies, and aligning with national health policy goals. ([ohdsi-europe.org](https://www.ohdsi-europe.org/index.php/national-nodes/ireland?utm_source=openai))
Examples from Across Europe
OHDSI Spain
Spain’s Node, one of the largest in Europe, brings together data partners, SMEs, and academic institutions to address national health research priorities. Current efforts include training programmes, observational studies, and strong engagement with local regions and ministries. ([ohdsi-europe.org](https://www.ohdsi-europe.org/index.php/national-nodes/spain?utm_source=openai))
Goals in focus:
- Expand partner network and facilitate support for new data sources. ([ohdsi-europe.org](https://www.ohdsi-europe.org/index.php/national-nodes/spain?utm_source=openai))
- Deliver events/workshops for academic, clinical, policy, and community audiences. ([ohdsi-europe.org](https://www.ohdsi-europe.org/index.php/national-nodes/spain?utm_source=openai))
- Strengthen linkages with national institutions—Ministries of Health, Science—and regional authorities. ([ohdsi-europe.org](https://www.ohdsi-europe.org/index.php/national-nodes/spain?utm_source=openai))
- Accelerate research using real world evidence tools and OMOP standardization. ([ohdsi-europe.org](https://www.ohdsi-europe.org/index.php/national-nodes/spain?utm_source=openai))