A discovery portal for smart health-related data exploration and management based on a hybrid Service-and-Data-Oriented Architecture

The development and evaluation of a hybrid Service-Oriented and Data-Oriented Architecture discovery portal designed to enhance collaborative health research is presented in this manuscript. The VITALISE Discovery Portal facilitates metadata discovery, secure data exchange, and experiment registration, addressing the dynamic needs of data providers and researchers both within and beyond the Living Labs ecosystem. To examine the discovery portal’s performance and user activity, data usage from the system over a six-month period and data collected from a specifically designed questionnaire was analyzed. Descriptive statistics indicate considerable variability in user activity, with an average event frequency of approximately 12.38 and a standard deviation of 73.38, with diverse engagement levels. 14 participants completed the questionnaire and valuable insights were gleaned from their feedback. The findings demonstrate the portal’s usefulness in facilitating health research by improving data accessibility and operational openness. Continuous refinements, driven by user feedback and evolving research needs, are critical for maintaining and improving the discovery portal’s value. This study concludes that the discovery portal’s hybrid architecture represents a significant advancement in health informatics, promoting collaborative research and facilitating the exchange of health-related data and services.