The Austrian health care system incurs costs of 30 billion/year, the bulk of the costs (77 %) are publicly financed. Health policy and decision planning based on research evidence helps to tackle increasing costs. The urgent need for the evaluation of new health technologies, services, infrastructure, as well as for the development of improved technologies for the analysis, planning and control of health systems is met by DEXHELPP. METHODS Today, decision support in health care is usually based on evidence from studies of limited size, but not yet on the analysis of large volumes of routinely collected health care data. DEXHELPP is dedicated to filling the gap by combining academic excellence by research partners with professional implementation including knowledge of commercial partner institutions. By doing so special methods for statistical analysis, simulation and visualisation will be implemented as well as new methods for documentation and providing of k-anonymity for used individual data. For this task, existing cooperation schemes provide a firm substantial and conceptual knowledge base. All relevant fundamental technological competencies from academic and applied research are provided by the consortium, coming from universities, competence centres, and R&D SMEs. RESULTS Developed methods will help in (1) analysing the status quo, (2) making reliable prognoses, and (3) evaluating the consequences of interventions. A scientific research server with routine data in order to test developed methods will be run. The project covers all relevant areas within this complex process, from data management via analysis and modelling through to user friendly presentation of results and quality assurance. Some of the most important actual decision-makers in Austria complete the consortium with application-oriented expertise. CONCLUSIONS DEXHELPP focusses on the development on high innovative technological methods. Future focus will lay on building up a network with more stakeholders to integrate those methods in national and international processes.