Top 5 Trends in Real-World Data and Real-World Evidence for 2025

Real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) are serving as catalysts for progress in healthcare, and Verana Health is excited to be among the companies leading the way in innovative solutions. With quality real-world data and advanced artificial intelligence (AI), we’re helping to revolutionize research, improve clinical practice, and shape regulatory decisions to drive more precise, efficient, and impactful outcomes.

Here are 5 key trends in RWD and RWE that are redefining how healthcare is delivered and enhanced:

1.       External Control Arms: Pioneering Efficiency in Drug Development

External control arms (ECAs) are advancing clinical research by replacing traditional non-interventional groups with high-quality RWD from sources such as electronic health records (EHRs). This approach mitigates ethical dilemmas, particularly in rare diseases, where non-interventional groups are impractical or inappropriate. ECAs streamline research processes, improve feasibility, and reduce costs, creating a faster pathway from trial to treatment.

Verana Health leads the charge by curating reliable, robust datasets that uphold study integrity and reduce bias. Our Qdata® research-ready modules, which deliver unparalleled RWE insights, are helping accelerate access to essential RWD that can serve as control data, enabling shorter trial timelines and optimized resources. 

In rare diseases, where traditional control groups are often unattainable, our Qdata Retinitis Pigmentosa offers a viable alternative by providing a more accurate way to analyze and identify this patient population. By reducing patient burden and ensuring ethically sound trials, Verana Health is advancing both innovation and care.

2.       Predictive Analytics and AI: Unlocking the Potential of Real-World Data

Predictive analytics and artificial intelligence can convert vast amounts of RWD into actionable insights. These technologies are helping life sciences companies understand patient outcomes and clinicians to tailor treatments, shifting the paradigm from reactive to preventive care.

Verana Health exemplifies the potential of AI in healthcare transformation by deploying advanced AI techniques, such as machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP), to transform complex datasets into meaningful insights. Predictive models can assist with early detection of disease, predict disease progression and enable the identification of trends that can help life sciences companies make data-informed decisions across the entire drug development lifecycle.

3.       Genomics Testing: Driving Precision in Prostate Cancer Care

Prostate cancer management presents unique complexities due to the variability in tumor behavior. Some tumors progress slowly and require minimal intervention, while others are aggressive and demand immediate attention. Relying solely on clinical factors, such as Gleason scores and PSA levels, can result in over- or under-treatment, leaving room for improvement in care strategies.

Genomic testing has emerged as a transformative solution, offering insights into the molecular characteristics of tumors. This deeper understanding allows clinicians to determine the aggressiveness of cancer with greater precision, guiding more effective treatment decisions.

Verana Health has partnerships that allow us to utilize genomic data from vendors by tokenizing and linking the data to other RWD sources, providing the life sciences community with deeper and broader patient data that is de-identified. By harnessing the power of genomics and EHR data, life sciences companies can make significant strides toward better understanding the patient journey.

4.       Real-World Evidence: Transforming Ophthalmic Treatment Options

In ophthalmology, where conditions such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration are prevalent, RWE has become an indispensable resource for informing disease management and improving patient outcomes. Data insights into disease progression enable earlier and more effective interventions, reducing complications and enhancing quality of life.

Verana Health leverages RWD from the American Academy of Ophthalmology IRIS® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight) and secure and advanced AI to characterize patients more accurately and analyze  treatment patterns and outcomes, which can help life sciences companies understand the impact of treatments on disease activity and severity.

5.       Real-World Evidence: Advancing Urologic Treatment Options

In urology, the use of RWE has been transformative, particularly in understanding and treating conditions such as prostate cancer, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Verana Health’s exclusive partnership with the American Urological Association (AUA) Quality (AQUA)® Registry enables an in-depth analysis of treatment outcomes and patient experiences.

By tapping into unstructured data in the clinical notes of urologists’ EHRs, we can reveal key variables that can help life sciences companies better understand and more accurately identify signals of disease progression to make well-informed decisions. 

The Path Forward: Establishing a Resilient and Inclusive Healthcare Ecosystem

As healthcare continues to evolve, the role of RWD and RWE will grow significantly. These solutions are crucial for accelerating research, designing streamlined and diverse clinical trials, and ensuring that healthcare innovations are accessible to all patients. 

Verana Health is at the forefront of this transformation, applying its RWD and RWE solutions to address barriers and foster meaningful advancements. Through meticulously curated data, secure and advanced AI, and actionable insights, we are helping to reshape healthcare decision-making. To learn more, click here.