The Architecture of the National Data Platform (see diagram) is divided into decentralized components ("NUM nodes" operated by the Data Integration Centers) and a central component that supports data provision and utilization. In the first expansion stage, the central platform will be operational within two months after the project start. It is supplemented by a central portal for data and biomaterial search. The provision of COVID-19-relevant data is carried out by the decentralized components to the central platform, but also directly from already established decentralized components to national study registries.

The decentralized part of the platform ("NUM nodes") builds on existing infrastructures of the Medical Informatics Initiative (MII), particularly the Data Integration Centers, which were established at nearly all German university hospitals during the current funding phase of the MII (2018–2021). These Data Integration Centers provide the organizational and technical framework for supplying data from clinical primary systems and also offer the technical capabilities to integrate new components and processes (e.g., local COVID registries and SmICS at the respective university hospitals). With the technical infrastructure for implementing the MII’s National Broad Consent and for supporting local Use and Access Committees, they form a key component for the legally compliant and controlled secondary use of existing data. The decentralized components of the platform are also essential for rapidly and systematically rolling out new guidelines, documentation standards, and analytical tools nationwide.

The site-specific components of the platform are complemented by a central platform with its own data repository, enabling collaborative research on the integrated data and supporting healthcare processes in the context of COVID-19. The central data repository contains pseudonymized data from various sources, especially the Data Integration Centers, but potentially also from public health authorities and data voluntarily provided by citizens (e.g., via apps). Once in operation, the platform will make it possible to roll out new services for healthcare providers, public health authorities, and citizens on a large scale. This will both efficiently support public health measures and provide a robust data foundation for making critical decisions in managing the COVID-19 crisis. The unified platform of central components and local nodes enables fast and qualified decision-making based on reliable data and the delivery of patient-specific diagnostics and therapies across the entire network.