Outcomes research has never been more important in cancer care. European Cancer Mission priorities (and funding) now reflect the key role that real-world evidence (RWE; efficient and scalable evidence generation from routine electronic medical records) has in highlighting and driving changes in clinical practice. Standardisation of source data, through translation to an accessible common data model, is central to that efficiency.

The Digital Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research (DIGICORE) is committed to driving this standardisation across Europe. Supported by a substantial Interregional Innovation Investment (I3) grant from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), DIGICORE is building a research network of 20 centres (80,000 new cancer diagnoses per year), deploying technology that includes translation of medical records to Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) standards for cancer.

But there is a critical skills gap - few clinical researchers have the skills to scale digital methods into care systems, skills that will enable the international transformation of care quality. The IQVIA-DIGICORE Early-career Leadership Programme for OMOP (IDEAL4OMOP) is designed to address this gap, equipping young research leaders with the skills they will need to drive future international RWE, including accessing appropriate funding to sustain the effort.