Public health is becoming increasingly data-driven. Professionals working in epidemiology, health research, healthcare, policy and population health are expected to understand not only health systems and disease prevention, but also how data can be used to identify risks, evaluate interventions and support better decisions.
For learners looking to build these skills online, Futures, powered by Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) provides a learning platform focused on health data research, data science and related areas. The platform includes courses and learning resources covering topics such as data science, machine learning, patient and public involvement and engagement, and routine data in clinical trials.
One particularly relevant course currently available is The OMOP Common Data Model for Federated Analytics of Health Data, which is self-paced, CPD accredited and designed for researchers, healthcare professionals and data holders.
Important: The material supplied for this opportunity does not establish that every course on the HDR UK platform is free or that every course provides a certificate. Where the official information confirms certification or course availability, those details are identified below rather than assumed.
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What Is Futures by HDR UK?
Futures is an online learning platform powered by Health Data Research UK (HDR UK).
The platform provides learning resources for people interested in health data research and related disciplines. Its course catalogue can be explored using filters including course type, topic, organisation and instructor.
The platform also provides dedicated sections for:
- Data science
- Machine learning
- Patient and public involvement and engagement
- Routine data in clinical trials
- Health data research
It also has a Verified Certificates section, although learners should check the individual course page to determine whether a particular course offers a certificate.
A Public Health Course Worth Exploring
The OMOP Common Data Model for Federated Analytics of Health Data
One of the most relevant courses for public health and health data professionals is The OMOP Common Data Model for Federated Analytics of Health Data.
The course is provided by HDR UK and is listed as self-paced. It was updated on 19 January 2026 and has a course start date listed as 26 June 2026.
The course introduces the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model (OMOP CDM) and explains how standardised health data can support collaborative research across different datasets and networks.
What does the course cover?
The learning pathway contains eight videos covering topics including:
- Introduction to the OMOP Common Data Model
- Federated analytics and data networks
- OMOP initiatives in the UK, Europe and globally
- The OMOP-mapped data landscape
- Study designs for generating real-world evidence
- Analytical pipelines for federated network analyses
- Examples from previous OMOP initiatives
- Using OMOP for public health and regulatory decision-making
This makes the course particularly relevant to people interested in the intersection between public health, epidemiology, healthcare data and evidence-based decision-making.
Who Is the Course For?
HDR UK states that the OMOP course is intended for:
- Researchers
- Healthcare professionals
- Data holders
The purpose is to help learners understand the OMOP Common Data Model and how it can facilitate the generation of real-world evidence across federated networks to support human health.
This is broader than a traditional public health course focused solely on disease prevention.
Instead, the course is particularly useful for learners who want to understand how health data is structured and used to produce evidence.
Why Health Data Skills Matter in Public Health
Modern public health increasingly depends on large datasets.
Researchers and public health institutions may work with information from healthcare records, population studies, disease surveillance systems and other sources.
The challenge is that health datasets are not always structured in the same way.
A common data model can help researchers work with information from different sources using a more consistent framework.
That is why the OMOP course may be particularly valuable for learners interested in:
Epidemiology → Health Data → Real-World Evidence → Public Health Decisions
This combination is increasingly relevant to careers involving health research and population-level decision-making.
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What Is OMOP?
The OMOP Common Data Model is a framework for standardising diverse healthcare datasets.
According to HDR UK, it can support large-scale, reproducible and collaborative health data research by helping standardise different healthcare datasets.
The course also introduces federated analytics and explains how these approaches can support real-world evidence generation.
For someone beginning in health data, the important takeaway is that the course is not simply about learning a software tool.
It is about understanding how health information can be organised and analysed consistently across different data environments.
The Public Health Connection
One of the strongest reasons this course fits into a public health learning pathway is that its curriculum explicitly includes using the OMOP CDM for public health and regulatory decision-making.
That creates a useful connection between technical health-data concepts and practical decision-making.
For example, someone working in public health may ultimately need to understand how evidence can inform:
- Health policy
- Population health interventions
- Regulatory decisions
- Healthcare planning
- Disease research
- Health system improvement
The course provides an introduction to the data infrastructure behind this type of work.
Is the Course Self-Paced?
Yes.
HDR UK lists the OMOP course as self-paced, allowing learners to work through the eight-video pathway according to their own schedule.
This can make it suitable for:
- University students
- Researchers
- Healthcare workers
- Public health professionals
- Data professionals
- People transitioning into health data careers
Is There a Certificate?
The official course page states that the curriculum is accredited by The CPD Certification Service.
However, learners should distinguish between CPD accreditation and a university degree or professional licence.
A CPD-accredited learning activity can be useful as evidence of continuing professional development, but it should not be presented as an academic qualification or professional public health certification.
Other Public Health-Related Learning on HDR UK Futures
The platform extends beyond one course.
Its catalogue includes learning around data science, machine learning, patient and public involvement and engagement, and routine data in clinical trials.
These areas can complement public health training, particularly for learners interested in modern health research.
For example:
Data Science
Useful for learners interested in analysing health datasets and developing quantitative skills.
Machine Learning
Relevant to learners exploring predictive modelling and computational approaches to health research.
Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement
Important for understanding how patients and communities can participate in health research.
Routine Data in Clinical Trials
Relevant to researchers interested in using routinely collected health information in clinical research.
Public Health Career Paths That Can Benefit From These Skills
Public health is a broad field, and health data skills can complement several career directions.
Epidemiology
Epidemiologists study patterns, causes and distribution of health conditions across populations.
Health Data Science
Health data scientists combine data analysis, statistics and health knowledge to generate insights from healthcare data.
Public Health Research
Researchers can use health datasets to investigate health outcomes and evaluate interventions.
Health Policy
Data and evidence are important when developing and evaluating public health policies.
Clinical Research
Health data skills can support researchers working with routinely collected healthcare information and clinical studies.
Health Informatics
Health informatics sits at the intersection of healthcare, information systems and data.
How to Build a Public Health Learning Pathway
Rather than collecting certificates randomly, learners can build a more coherent skills profile.
A possible pathway is:
Step 1 — Learn Public Health Fundamentals
Start with an introductory public health or epidemiology course.
Step 2 — Develop Statistics Skills
Learn basic statistics, study design and interpretation of health data.
Step 3 — Learn Data Analysis
Develop skills in tools such as Excel, R, Python or SQL depending on your career direction.
Step 4 — Explore Health Data
Study how electronic health records and routinely collected healthcare information can be used in research.
Step 5 — Learn About Real-World Evidence
The HDR UK OMOP course can be useful at this stage because it introduces the use of standardised health data for real-world evidence generation.
Step 6 — Build a Portfolio
Instead of relying entirely on certificates, create practical projects using publicly available health datasets.
For example, you could analyse disease trends, health inequalities or population-level indicators and present your findings in a dashboard or research-style report.
Who Should Consider This Training?
The HDR UK learning platform may be particularly interesting if you are:
- A public health student
- An epidemiology student
- A health researcher
- A healthcare professional
- A data analyst interested in healthcare
- A data scientist moving into health
- A researcher working with electronic health records
- Interested in real-world evidence
- Interested in health data infrastructure
- Exploring a career in health informatics
The OMOP course is especially relevant if you want to move beyond general public health theory and understand the data infrastructure supporting modern health research.
How to Enrol
Learners can visit the HDR UK Futures platform and browse available learning opportunities by topic, course type, organisation or instructor.
Visit the HDR UK Futures Learning Platform
For the OMOP course specifically:
View The OMOP Common Data Model for Federated Analytics of Health Data
Final Thoughts
Free public health education is becoming increasingly accessible online, but learners should look beyond the word “free” when choosing a course.
The most useful training is often the training that adds a complementary skill to your existing background.
For someone interested in public health, combining public health knowledge with statistics, data science, health informatics and real-world evidence can create a stronger professional profile.
HDR UK’s Futures platform provides a particularly interesting route for learners who want to explore the data side of public health. Its learning catalogue includes data science, machine learning, patient and public involvement and engagement, and routine data in clinical trials, while its OMOP course provides a practical introduction to standardised health data and federated analytics.
The key advantage is therefore not simply adding another certificate to your CV. It is developing an understanding of how health data can be transformed into evidence that supports better healthcare and public health decisions.
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