IRIS develops an interoperable data infrastructure to link anonymized emergency medical service (EMS) data with routine data from the local public health authority in the rural district of Helmstedt in Lower Saxony, Germany. These data sources are currently stored and analyzed separately. By securely integrating them, the project enables earlier identification of public health events – such as infectious disease outbreaks or heat-related emergencies – and supports evidence-based public health planning and monitoring at the local level.

Project objective

IRIS aims to establish an interoperable data infrastructure that links emergency medical service (EMS) data with data from the local public health authority. The project investigates how incident information documented in the nationwide standardized EMS protocol (DIVI protocol) can be integrated in a legally compliant manner with routine public health data and used for public health monitoring and planning.

To this end, secure data interfaces, anonymization procedures, and a real-time data architecture will be developed to enable the structured integration of incident, diagnostic, and contextual information. Medical terminology and coding systems will be harmonized, and free-text fields will be analyzed using Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Large Language Models (LLMs) to make additional information accessible for public health analysis.

IRIS combines methodological innovation with real-world implementation and scientific evaluation within the public health system.By linking EMS and public health data, the project establishes a new empirical foundation for public health planning, reporting, and health services research in rural regions.

Project Consortium

University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) 
Institute of General Practice

Helmstedt District (Lower Saxony, Germany)

• Department of Public Safety and Transport (Emergency Medical Services)
• Department of Health (Public Health Authority)