---
title: EHR Data Hold the Key to Improving and Accelerating Behavioral Health Research
description: In a research landscape that has traditionally relied on clinical trials supplemented with claims data, a shift to EHR-derived RWD as first-line evidence will yield the deepest clinical insights needed to answer targeted questions in behavioral health.
---

[The Hol Picture: Our Insights on RWE and Behavioral Health](https://info.holmusk.com/blog)

# [EHR Data Hold the Key to Improving and Accelerating Behavioral Health Research](https://info.holmusk.com/blog/ehr-data-hold-the-key-to-improving-and-accelerating-behavioral-health-research)

 Written by [Alex Vance](https://info.holmusk.com/blog/author/alex-vance) | Jul 6, 2023 1:43:22 PM

*This is an excerpt from a longer post that originally appeared on* [Going Digital: Behavioral Health Tech](https://www.behavioralhealthtech.com/insights/ehr-data-hold-the-key-to-improving-and-accelerating-behavioral-health-research).

Real-world data (RWD) are becoming increasingly critical to clinical research. The FDA has put forth [definitions surrounding RWD](https://www.fda.gov/science-research/science-and-research-special-topics/real-world-evidence), as well as issued guidance around its use in research emphasizing the principle of data being “fit-for-purpose”—selecting the data needed to answer the question at hand. Meanwhile, stakeholders engaged in clinical development have increasingly recognized that RWD will enable them to conduct studies faster, at a lower cost, and often, with a more representative and diverse population.

However, not all RWD is fit-for-purpose—that is, captured and stored in such a way that the data is ready to address the question at hand. In order to move forward with using RWD in a way that is efficient and effective, we need to build a shared understanding of the different types of data within the broad umbrella that is RWD and make clear which type of RWD is fit-for-purpose for a specific question.

 Read the entire post where it originally appeared as an [insight article for Going Digital: Behavioral Health Tech.](https://www.behavioralhealthtech.com/insights/ehr-data-hold-the-key-to-improving-and-accelerating-behavioral-health-research)

[View full post](https://info.holmusk.com/blog/ehr-data-hold-the-key-to-improving-and-accelerating-behavioral-health-research)

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