Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has revealed that nearly 140,000 patients within the north west London area have now registered with the trust’s patient database, Imperial Health Knowledge Bank.
Patients who join the database agree to have their health information collected and stored by the trust for research purposes, also consenting to contact regarding relevant clinical trials and studies. “Participation is entirely voluntary and choosing not to take part will not affect care,” the trust noted.
The knowledge bank is being funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre and recently integrated with London’s personal health record, Care Information Exchange. The trust has highlighted this integration as part of the reason behind the increase in registrations.
“Continual development and expansion of Imperial Health Knowledge Bank is a key to improving the diversity of participants in the clinical trials we lead and ensuring the research we do is relevant to and representative of the communities we serve. Imperial Health Knowledge Bank now provides all patients in north west London with an easy opportunity to get right to the heart of medical science and play a role in the development of new treatments, drugs and tests that could have a huge impact on the lives of others,” Professor Mark Thursz, director of the NIHR Imperial BRC, said.
Patient data in healthcare: the wider trend
A recent feature by Accurx focused on how data can help with the shift from reactive to proactive care, outlining four ways it can make primary care sustainable for the future. This includes, making demand and capacity visible, risk stratification, using population health data to shape place-based care and turning insight into action.
Last month, Barts Health shared how a real-time data dashboard, linked to its EPR, has made an impact on patient safety, patient flow and delivery of care. The M-BRACE project presents key information in a single place, including data relating to risk of falls, low blood sugar, and delays in assessment or transport, to support structured check-ins through the day.
Earlier this year, Amazon Web Services announced plans to provide cloud computing storage for UK Biobank, to help ensure that the database “has the cloud infrastructure it needs to securely store and handle” its health data. Described as “a database of in-depth genetic, health and lifestyle information from half a million UK volunteers”, the Biobank is said to offer an “unparalleled volume” of data. With the UK government set to match AWS’s investment and initial funding of £32 million, the new contribution brings total investment in the initiative to almost £50 million.
The Scottish Government published its “Palliative Care Matters for All” strategy to 2030, outlining the role of data to inform service planning, delivery and monitoring. The collection and reporting of population data at national and local levels is said to be key to improving palliative care and informing service delivery, planning, and outcomes measurement, the government highlights.
