In just a few years, real-world data (RWD) has evolved from an industry buzzword to a core driver of progress in drug development. What used to be experimental is now operational and increasingly essential. In the 2025 TriNetX and studioID survey of 150 senior biopharma executives, more than three-quarters said their organizations are already applying RWD across some part of the drug development lifecycle. We’re clearly well beyond the pilot phase.
RWD Is Now the Rule, Not the Exception
The momentum is unmistakable. According to the survey, 35% of respondents described their use of RWD as “expansive,” meaning it spans multiple business functions. Another 42% reported “moderate” usage, confirming what we see every day: RWD is no longer an outlier; it’s integral to how our industry operates.
At TriNetX, we’ve watched the enthusiasm around RWD evolve into real action. There’s a deeper understanding now of the value it brings, from trial planning to patient engagement. Still, the opportunity to embed it more fully into clinical development and healthcare decision-making remains significant, and exciting.
How and Where RWD Is Being Used
Survey results show that RWD is actively informing a wide range of processes, including:
- Medication-use tracking (75%)
- Protocol design (67%)
- Participant identification (64%)
- Site outreach and identification (53% and 49%, respectively)
- Participant outreach (37%)
It’s remarkable to see how RWD now touches nearly every phase of clinical development. Whether it’s optimizing protocol design, identifying better-matched sites, or accelerating recruitment timelines, organizations are applying data in meaningful, measurable ways.
A Complex, Multi-Source Ecosystem
Of course, with broader adoption comes more complexity. Most organizations are pulling from an average of 5.3 data sources to support their RWD strategies. The top sources include:
- Lab data (77%)
- Genomics data (62%)
- Patient/disease registries (61%)
- Health equity data (61%)
- Claims data (57%)
- Electronic health records (EHRs) (56%)
- Patient-reported outcomes (55%)
- Public health and lifestyle/wearables data (both around 48–55%)
This growing data diversity is a sign of maturity, but it also creates challenges. Harmonizing and integrating these disparate data types across platforms and geographies requires thoughtful infrastructure and experienced partners.
Compatibility: Still the Top Barrier
Despite the progress, data compatibility remains the most-cited barrier to broader RWD adoption, named by nearly 29% of respondents. As organizations merge multiple data sources, inconsistent formatting, coding standards, and definitions can become major roadblocks.
That’s why it’s so important to work with partners who can handle harmonization and semantic equivalency at scale. At TriNetX, we focus on making sure users aren’t burdened by data heterogeneity. Instead, they should expect a unified experience, regardless of how many sources are involved, without sacrificing accuracy or data integrity.
Execution: The New Frontier
With many organizations having already bought into the utility of RWD, the next challenge is operational: embedding it into everyday workflows, engaging cross-functional teams, and turning insights into action.
This involves more than just plugging in a platform. Execution requires:
- Training cross-functional teams to interpret and apply RWD.
- Aligning data strategy with protocol development and regulatory goals.
- Partnering with vendors that can deliver scalable, secure integration.
- Using RWD proactively, not just retrospectively, to guide decisions in real time.
How Leaders Can Stay Ahead
If you want to move from intention to impact, you need to be deliberate. Based on what we’re seeing across the industry, we believe there are a few key areas biopharma leaders should focus on:
- Expect compatibility: Hold your vendors accountable for delivering harmonized, high-integrity data across all sources.
- Invest in infrastructure: Build internal capabilities, including training and platform integration, to handle multi-modal data effectively.
- Prioritize RWD early: Incorporate RWD during protocol design and site selection to prevent downstream issues.
- Put patients first: Use RWD to uncover access barriers and improve inclusivity. The right data doesn’t just make trials more efficient; it makes them more equitable.
The Bottom Line: RWD Is Biopharma’s Advantage
The question is no longer whether to use RWD. It’s how to use it better, faster, and more broadly.
Organizations that overcome data compatibility barriers and embed RWD throughout the drug development lifecycle will be the ones driving innovation by accelerating regulatory timelines, meeting patient needs, and improving trial outcomes.
About Steve Kundrot
Steve is a technology and business leader with over 20 years of experience in clinical research, health analytics, consulting, and software development. As Chief Operating Officer, he oversees TriNetX’s core operational functions and leads the development of a unified product roadmap designed to revolutionize clinical research and accelerate drug development by optimizing clinical trial design, enhancing post-market safety, and delivering research-grade data and evidence that enable and expedite regulatory approvals.
