QResearch: Now available to Researchers at all UK universities
QResearch is pleased to announce that university-based researchers from across the UK are now able to access all of the linked data in the QResearch database!
What is QResearch for?
The unique combination of data linkages within the QResearch database gives researchers access to one of the most complete pictures of health and care at both the population level and down to the individual, in the world.
For example, projects made possible by QResearch's UK wide data linkages have allowed comparison of the risks of complications and adverse events from COVID infection and vaccinations to be compared, informing health policy in the UK and beyond.
Examples include revealing the risks of COVID infection and different vaccines for:
- cardiovascular health,
- neurological complications,
- blood clotting risks, and
- other serious outcomes (QCovid)
Non-Covid-based examples include:
What is the QResearch database?
- Anonymised health records from general practice across the UK
- 35 million patients, with records extending back to 1989
- Includes socio-economic details on patient postcodes
- Data linkages extending back as far as 1993 to:
- Cause of death data,
- Hospital Episode Statistics (admitted patient care, outpatients, and adult critical care),
- Civil Registration data,
- Cancer Registration data,
- COVID testing and vaccination data, and
How to apply
- Email our team to arrange a meeting about data availability and to receive a costing*
- On award of funding make an application to the QResearch Scientific Committee (delegated ethics, likely to take 6-10 weeks)
- On receipt of approval, finalise a data request, set up access to our Trusted Research Environment (TRE)
- Receive access to your datase within six weeks
Help available
We can provide support to:
- Understand QResearch data
- ensure data costs are covered in funding applications
- make an application to the QResearch Scientific Committee
- specify the required dataset
- meet requirements for access to the TRE
- continue access and use of the dataset for the duration of the project
* QResearch uses a cost recovery-based costing model to attribute the actual cost of providing QResearch data access between projects according to the size and complexity of projects.