A model for the European platform for rare disease registries.

Background: The current situation of rare disease (RD) registries is rather heterogeneous, and new ways to support the registration of RD patients are being sought in the European Union (EU) and the US. The project 'Building Consensus and Synergies for the EU Registration of RD Patients', funded by the EU, aimed to define a model platform for EU RD registries. Methods: A number of surveys and extensive consultations among registry stakeholders have been carried out to study how the platform can best fulfill their needs. Results: This web-based, multidisease and multipurpose platform is intended to provide a number of functions: a meta-data and data repository function supporting the planning of research studies and the production of predefined outputs for the funding organizations and the public, provision of tools and resources of use to registries, promotion of registration and networking among patients and professionals. Conclusion: Its main impact is expected to be on data and procedures standardization, on the establishment of new registries, on the sustainability of the smaller ones, and on the registration of those RDs for which a dedicated registry is not sustainable, e. g. ultra-rare diseases or diseases for which there is no special research, clinical or economic interest. It will also impact on the production of sounder information on RD and RD-dedicated health systems, by promoting registry data comparability and quality. (C) 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel