The Eight HDRL Domains¶
The HDRL Framework organises health data readiness into eight domains, each capturing a critical dimension of organisational maturity. Together, they provide a 360-degree view of an organisation's capability to participate in federated health data research.
Domain Overview¶
| Ref | Domain | Business Value | Indicators |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Data Coverage & Federation | Are the required data available, linkable and usable across settings? | 10 |
| B | Data Semantics & Quality | Can data be understood, assessed and reused consistently? | 6 |
| C | Governance & Access | Can safe, lawful research be approved and delivered efficiently? | 11 |
| D | Research Integration & Market Use | Does the service support real research use, collaboration and impact? | 8 |
| E | Public Trust & Transparency | Are transparency, public benefit and meaningful engagement built in? | 7 |
| F | Sustainability | Can capability, funding and service continuity be sustained over time? | 6 |
| G | Workforce & Culture | Are the people, skills and service culture in place to deliver? | 7 |
| H | Infrastructure & Compute Capacity | Is the technical environment secure, resilient and scalable? | 9 |
Total: 64 indicators (43 Core, 21 Enhancement)
How Domains Relate¶
The eight domains are not independent silos — they form an interconnected system:
- Domains A & B (Data) provide the raw material
- Domain C (Governance) controls the flow
- Domain D (Research) measures the output
- Domain E (Trust) makes public benefit, transparency and engagement visible
- Domains F & G (Sustainability & Workforce) ensure long-term capacity
- Domain H (Infrastructure) provides the technical foundation
Assessment approach
Domain scores are calculated as the median of Core indicators (excluding Outcome/Context indicators) within the domain. Enhancement indicators inform the roadmap but do not affect baseline domain scores.
Indicator Types¶
Each indicator is classified by:
- Type: Core (essential) or Enhancement (good practice)
- Applicability Class: B0 (Baseline Core), Cx (Capability module), O (Optional), Y (Outcome/Context)
- Unit of Assessment: System (S), Service (V), or Both (B)
See Indicator Classification for full details.