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Big data

We are building a big data analytics powerhouse, having recently convened the world’s longest established and largest electronic health records databases, and developed the UK’s only prescribing database.

By combining data from millions of patients and GP consultations, researchers have the ability to generate powerful new evidence for clinical and health service decision making.

We bring together a critical mass of medical statisticians, health economists, epidemiologists and software coders to fully capitalise on the recent convergence of some of the world's largest and longest established electronic healthcare record databases right here in our department in Oxford.

We are applying these powerful tools to

  • develop smarter, larger and more robust studies of routine patient data
  • carry out national surveillance of common diseases
  • create dashboards to provide up-to-date feedback on NHS prescribing
  • pioneer new ways of delivering nationwide randomised controlled trials through an innovative electronic clinical trials platform.

Theme leads:

Data-driven solutions, advanced research methods, rapid patient benefit

ORCHID and the RCGP Research and Surveillance Centre

Working with general practitioners across the community, ORCHID integrates general practice records at a national level to support integrated clinical trials in routine practice and provide platforms for extended community surveillance of communicable disease. The RSC collects and monitors data, in particular influenza, from over 1,000 practices across England. Data is extracted weekly from a network of GP practices, with weekly surveillance reports produced of infectious and respiratory diseases.

Research lead: Professor Simon de Lusignan.

ORCHID

QResearch

QResearch is a large, consolidated databased of electronic health records from over 35 million patients, with data coming from approximately 1500 general practices across England using the EMIS clinical computer system. Historical records extend back to the 1989 making it one of the largest and richest general practice databases in the world.

Research lead: Professor Julia Hippisley-Cox

QResearch

Clinical Practice Research Datalink

The Clinical Practice Research Datalink is an observational database of primary care electronic health records for over 35 million patients, including 10 million registered patients, enabling retrospective and prospective public health and clinical studies. Oxford University is an authorised site-license holder.

Oxford research lead: Associate Professor Clare Bankhead

CPRD Research Group

OpenPrescribing

OpenPrescribing provides five years of NHS data on medicines prescribed by GPs across England with over 600 million data entries and 130,000 unique users each year. Graphic dashboards enable healthcare professionals to make prescribing safer and more cost-effective. The dataset has informed extensive technical and policy insights on how data can be put to good use in the NHS, where the blockers lie, and how they can be overcome.

Research lead: Dr Ben Goldacre

OpenPrescribing

OpenSAFELY

OpenSAFELY is a new secure analytics platform for electronic health records in the NHS, created to deliver urgent results during the global COVID-19 emergency. It is now successfully delivering analyses across more than 58 million patients’ full pseudonymised primary care NHS records, with more to follow shortly. All our analytic software is open for security review, scientific review, and re-use.

Oxford research lead: Dr Ben Goldacre

OpenSAFELY