ABSTRACT
Background: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy, health authorities have released epidemiologic data about this disease. These data were the most important sources of information which were periodically updated and analyzed by researchers to predict the spread of the epidemic. However, comprehensive and timely data on the evolution of COVID-19 have not always been made available to researchers and physicians. Method: The aim of our work is to investigate quality, availability and format of epidemiologic data about COVID-19 in Italy in different territorial and temporal areas. We tried to access the online resources made available by each of the 19 Italian Regions and the two autonomous Provinces, and in more detail by the Local Health Authorities of one of them, the Emilia-Romagna Region. We analyzed the main sources and flows of data (namely new and cumulative cases of infection, total swabs, new and cumulative COVID-19 deaths, overall and divided by sex), describing their characteristics such as accessibility, format and completeness. We eventually reviewed the data published by the Italian Ministry of Health, the National Institute of Health (ISS) and the Civil Protection Department. The Tim Berners-Lee scale was used to evaluate the open data format. Results: The flow of COVID-19 epidemiologic data in Italy originated from the Local Health Authorities that transmitted the data - on a daily basis - to the regional authorities, which in turn transferred them to the national authorities. We found a rather high heterogeneity in both the content and the format of the released data, both at the local and the regional level. Few Regions were releasing data in open format. ISS was the only national source of data that provided the number of COVID-19 health outcomes divided by sex and age groups since Spring 2020. Conclusions: Despite multiple potential useful sources for COVID-19 epidemiology are present in Italy, very few open format data were available both at a macro geographical level (e.g. per Region) and at the provincial level. The access to open format epidemiologic data should be eased, to allow researchers to adequately assess future epidemics and therefore favor timely and effective public health interventions.