News, NHS trust

Cambridge University Hospitals introduces tool enabling EHR data to be transferred to research databases

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS FT has introduced a tool for EHR data to be transferred to research databases or electronic data capture software for use in clinical trials, in a move the trust hopes will allow researchers to spend “more time on clinical research rather than data entry”.

The Archer platform reportedly allows “large volumes of data” to be integrated from EHRs, “transferring several hundred data points per patient, efficiently and securely”. It is also said to have been piloted successfully at University College London Hospitals  and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Dr Wai Keong Wong, clinical director of digital transformation, commented that the integration of the platform into the trust’s EHR system represents “a significant leap forward” in the way the trust conducts clinical trials. Dr Wai Keong Wong, added: “The automation of data capture not only enhances efficiency but also ensures the highest standards of data integrity, which is crucial for the success of our research and, ultimately, for patient outcomes.”

The trust reports that the platform is currently being used in a phase 3 study sponsored by AstraZeneca, and that all participants have provided the necessary prior approval for the use of their clinical data in this way.

Data use across the health sector

For a recent HTN Now panel discussion, we were joined by expert panellists from across the healthcare sector to debate the role of digital and data in women’s healthcare. Panellists included: Saima Sharif, NHS obstetrician & gynaecologist, North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust and digital/AI adopter for women’s health; Dr Nikita Kanani MBE, GP and chief strategy and innovation officer at Aneira Health; Sally Mole, senior digital programme manager – digital portfolio delivery team at The Dudley Group; and Vicky Rothwell, lead enterprise architect, Aire Logic.

Last month we were joined by panellists including Neill Crump, digital strategy director at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust; Lee Rickles, CIO, director and deputy SIRO at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust; and Beatrix Fletcher, senior programme manager (AI) at Guy’s and St Thomas’​ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT); to talk about the practicalities of AI technologies, data, bias, adoption, policies and best practices.

A partnership between University Hospital Southampton and TRL, a global centre for innovation in surface transport and mobility, has launched with an aim to reduce road deaths by linking health records and road traffic collision data. Funded by £500,000 from the Department for Transport and the Road Safety Trust, the Data Sustains Life project sets out to “anonymously integrate wide-ranging data insights, providing a holistic view of the causes and consequences of road crashes in Great Britain”, exploring the relationship between road traffic accidents and resulting health outcomes.