real world data (rwd) in medicine is data derived from a number of sources that are associated with outcomes in a heterogeneous patient population in real-world settings, such as patient surveys, clinical trials, and observational cohort studies. real-world data refer to observational data as opposed to data gathered in an experimental setting such as a randomized controlled trial (rct). they are derived from electronic health records (ehrs), claims and billing activities, product and disease registries, etc.