PrimDISC Committee

Primary Care Hosted Research Datasets Independent Scientific Committee (PrimDISC)

The department has developed a unified approvals process for accessing departmental data resources. This includes applications to use primary care research datasets, and for the re-use and re-analysis of existing Departmental Trials, Cohorts or other studies.

An independent committee, PrimDISC, reviews the applications. PrimDISC acts on behalf of the NDPCHS Research Committee.

PrimDISC functions to provide access to NDPCHS assets only as some resources, including CPRD, Opensafely and QResearch, require different modes of application.

What are the core aims of this committee?

Provide timely and high-quality peer review of the scientific (medical, epidemiological, methodological) merit of research protocols proposing access and use of the patient data within its remit
Provide timely and high-quality peer review of the feasibility, quality and public health value of applications proposing the use of the patient data within its remit
Follow the criteria and principles set out by the NDPCHS Research Committee in assessing and advising on research applications to access NDPCHS databases
Assess and advise on ethical or confidentiality issues that may arise during access and/or use of the patient data within its remit in research studies, taking into consideration input from the research ethics committees or other groups, as relevant
Follow the criteria and principles set out by the relevant oversight boards in assessing and advising on applications to access the databases
Review internal workings of the Committee to ensure consistency, efficiency and high standards of peer-review are maintained
Advise the research teams on technical issues that may arise
Advise on other specific issues within its remit, as requested
Assess if the proposed project requires ethical approval and to make any positive evaluation contingent to confirmation that this has been obtained.

Summary of the application flow:

1) Applications for data access submitted to Secretariat via primdisc@phc.ox.ac.uk

2) Feasibility and design aspects of application are vetted : Secretariat will advise applicant if further information is required.

3) Complete applications: 2-3 lead reviewers assigned

4) All applications circulated to committee ahead of meeting for information

5) At the monthly meeting, lead reviewers present review of each application

6) Committee decides on outcomes: accept; revise and resubmit; reject

7) Secretariat notifies applicant

8) Where relevant, approvals, contracts, etc. finalised.

9) Research team liaises with applicant regarding time lines, access to data, etc.

How could this be of benefit to patients?

Committee members make an important contribution to ensuring the quality and robustness of all research studies using primary care data from the department, therefore, increasing the likelihood that these studies will go on to improve patient care in the NHS.

Application Form

PrimDISC Application Form.docx

31 KB, Microsoft Office - Word Document

DATES of PrimDISC COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND SUBMISSION DEADLINES

27th January 2025 - submission deadline 3rd January

24th February 2025 - submission deadline 31st January

31st March 2025 - submission deadline 7th March

28th April 2025 - submission deadline 4th April

30th June 2025 - submission deadline 6th June

28th July 2025 - submission deadline 4th July

29th September 2025 - submission deadline 5th September

27th October 2025 - submission deadline 3rd October

24th November 2025 - submission deadline 31st October

List of approved applications

PD-0036-2024 National Enhanced Service Scheme Evaluation (NESIE)

PD-0035-2024 Description and validation of a new digital phenotype for identifying cases of acute respiratory infections (ARI) from the primary care electronic health record for respiratory sentinel surveillance

PD-0033-2024 Differentiating COVID-19 Infection Outcomes by Immunosuppressed Subgroups

PD-0032-2023 Health care costs associated with the AstraZeneca and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines

PD-0031-2023 NIHR Cancer Policy Research Unit: A cohort study monitoring cancer-related primary care activity and patient outcomes, and the impact of significant events

PD-0030-2023 Intensive surveillance of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in primary care with a focus on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV): prospective sentinel network observational study (Moderna ObservatARI)

PD-0029-2023 Non-cancer diagnoses and their potential for missed opportunities in symptomatic cancer diagnosis: a mixed methods study

PD-0028-2023 Welcome Project

PD-0025-2023 OPAL

PD-0024-2023 Demonstrating the feasibility of a Learning Health System for cancer diagnosis in primary care (CRUK)

PD-0023-2023 Assessing the Contributions of Additional Role Practitioners to general practice in England (CARPE) V1

PD-0022-2023 What are the associations between features of digital behaviour change interventions (DBCIs) for smoking cessation and intervention effectiveness, and how does socioeconomic status moderate them? A systematic review with planned meta-analysis and meta-CART

PD-0021-2023 LOCOMOTION

PD-0020-2023 Estimating prevalence of influenza-like illness and COVID-19 using non-traditional, user generated data streams

PD-0019-2023 PIMAS study

PD-0018-2023 COMNET

PD-0017-2023 Could social prescribing contribute to type 2 diabetes prevention in people at high risk? A population-based study using primary care data

PD-0016-2023 HEALD

PD-0014-2023 Monitoring Quantitative Mental Health Indicators Across Different Healthcare Settings during the COVID-19 Pandemic in England

PD-0013-2023 VU SYNTHESIS IPD project

PD-0011-2023 Using microbiological data to improve the use of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections: individual patient data meta-analysis

PD-0009-2022 The ACD (Atrial Fibrillation, Chronic Kidney Disease, DOACs) Study. DOAC Adherence, persistence and monitoring in Atrial Fibrillation and CKD

PD-0006-2022 LONGKid

PD-0005-2022 Kidney Outcome Trials

PD-0004-2022 Applicability of Guidelines

PD-0003-2022 COMBIKID

PD-0002-2022 OSCAR

PD-0001-2022 SHIP

CR-0105-2021 Predicting the health and economic consequences of standardised diagnostic pathways for hypertension compared to existing hypertension diagnostic parkways