After six years doing tasks of programming, data engineering, statistics, and coordination support, Clara Rodríguez joined the team in October 2024 as the coordinator of SIDIAP –an acronym that identifies both the research database based on computerized primary care medical records and the unit that manages it. Rodríguez is a statistician and combines her work at IDIAPJGol with teaching as an associate professor of statistics in the Faculty of Biology at the University of Barcelona. She is passionate about programming, sports, and languages, and is delighted to work at IDIAPJGol, an institution where, she says, it is a pleasure to work.

What is SIDIAP and what is it for?

SIDIAP is a database that contains health information on almost the entire population of Catalonia. It contains data on eight million people, of whom six million are active. It includes the clinical information recorded at primary care centres during visits. With this information, we generate a structured database that can be used for research projects. Once we generate it, we prepare it so that queries can be run for specific projects. For several years now, other databases have been developed to be adapted to other models, for example, OMOP [Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership], ConcePTION, or TiNetX, with which we are now starting to work.

How many people are on the SIDIAP team, and how are you organized?

We are a multidisciplinary team with eight full-time staff, one nearly full-time staff member, and two people who work three or four days a week. We have a clinical professional who helps us filter the information and ensure that the information in the database is accurate. The profiles are very diverse: we have physicists, engineers, a biologist, I’m a statistician… We’ve all ended up becoming data professionals, some with a profile closer to data engineering and others with a more research-oriented focus.

SIDIAP is the crown jewel of IDIAP. How relevant is it and what is its unique feature?

It’s the only database of its kind in Spain that collects primary care data. This kind of databases do exist in hospitals, but in primary care, this one is unique, or at least it was until very recently. It’s an excellent quality platform that has been developed over time. It’s well-known in Spain and Europe and has participated in very relevant projects.

How have you seen the evolution of SIDIAP since you joined the team in 2018?

It’s grown a lot. Since then, the team has doubled, and the platform has improved considerably; it has increased in size and adapted to various environments and requirements. This has allowed us to open new avenues of research. It has grown in parallel with IDIAPJGol and in parallel with all the developments taking place in the world of data. If you don’t evolve, you’re left out.

How are big data and artificial intelligence impacting the future development of SIDIAP?

In terms of the platform’s operation, we continue to generate the database in the same way, through scripts and IT tools. This process hasn’t changed for the time being. However, AI is impacting the type of information that research teams request from the database.

SIDIAP’s main source is the ECAP, the primary care medical record. What is the process for transferring patient information collected in the medical record into an anonymized database ready for research?

We don’t have direct access to the information that healthcare professionals record in the ECAP. I can’t see my name; I don’t have access to Clara Rodríguez’s information. When we download the data to our server, we first download the raw data with the pseudo-anonymized data: the patient identifier is not sent to us with first and last names, but with alphanumeric characters. This is sent to us through the ICS’s SISAP. If necessary, we could go back and identify the patient, but this can only be done by ICS; we have no way of knowing which specific person is behind the identifier. Then, for each project, the identifier is encrypted again so that patients cannot be compared across projects. We do this to prevent anyone from accessing the entire database by simply combining the information of several projects.

What motivated you to join SIDIAP?

I really like programming, and a classmate from my master’s program told me about SIDIAP and said they were looking for programmers. I sent my resume, three people interviewed me, and they hired me. At first, I did simple tasks because it takes several months to fully understand how the database works.

And now, as coordinator, what is your role?

We’re still in the process of trying to unify the entire team into a work dynamic that’s positive for everyone. Over the past few months, we’ve been organizing ourselves and reviewing work dynamics that may no longer be efficient. We’re still at that point. Afterwards, in my day-to-day work, I must participate in many meetings and answer quite a few questions. On the more technical side, I’m still involved in generating the database and other applications I developed during the previous stage.

How do you see IDIAP?

I think it’s fantastic that primary care research can be conducted as thoroughly as it is here. On a human level, it’s a very valuable institution. It has grown tremendously in recent years. The work environment is very good, and personal relationships are excellent. We all have good days and bad days, but overall, the work environment is very good.

What advice would you give to young people who want to work in the field of digital health?

They should take the plunge. There are many institutions that work with health data, and this is a growing and developing field, and one in which you contribute to improving people’s health. This gives me great satisfaction.

From a more personal perspective, tell us about your hobbies and the things you do outside of work.

I combine work with teaching at the University of Barcelona. I really enjoy teaching programming. In that sense, I’m a bit of a geek. I really like sports: I play soccer and padel tennis. This is my main vice: sports. I also like languages. I’m learning Basque now. I also like crafts. The roof won’t fall down on me at home, no.