Reliance on real-world data in representative types of study design

This figure summarizes the reliance on RWD in difference types of study design. RWD is data relating to patient health status and/or the delivery of health care, routinely collected from a variety of sources (eg, health insurance claims data, electronic health records, registries, wearable technologies). RWE is evidence about the usage and potential benefits or risks of a medical product derived from analysis of RWD. Thus, studies that collect and analyze RWD generate RWE. Refer to UpToDate topics on real-world evidence in health care for additional details on the definitions of RWD and RWE and a discussion of the use of RWD in clinical research.