NHS Digital and DATA-CAN, the UK’s Health Data Research Hub for Cancer, have made cancer data available to enable researchers to understand the impact of COVID-19 on people affected by the disease.
The data, which was curated by NHS Digital’s National Disease Registration Service alongside national population health datasets within NHS Digital’s Trusted Research Environment (TRE), will support research efforts to understand the current impact of COVID-19 on the referral, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of patients with cancer.
The Trusted Research Environment has been formed to allow researchers to access and analyse the data in a secure environment, without being downloaded.
Michael Chapman, NHS Digital Director of Research and Clinical Trials, commented: “Safe access to data is absolutely vital in helping medical researchers explore the impact of COVID-19 on cancer services and outcomes, and more widely to understand the causes of cancer and how best to diagnose, prevent and treat it.”
Commenting on data and confidentiality, Alison Allam, DATA-CAN Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Group, said: “Patients and carers understand the benefits of earlier and more accurate diagnosis and smarter, kinder treatments for cancer and the important role that health data research plays in this. However, we want to be reassured that our medical data will be treated confidentially and responsibly by those carrying out research.”
In recent news relating to Trusted Research Environments, the UK Health Data Alliance published principles for forming Trusted Research Environments.
Last year, North East and North Cumbria ICS published its strategy for providing data capability to support health and care projects for service improvements, new innovations and research.
