Transforming diabetes research: South West SDE leads new projects
The South West Secure Data Environment (SDE) has secured £440k to lead two new projects to demonstrate the potential of the NHS SDE Network.
The award includes funding for the Diabetes Driver, to develop and test a diabetes core dataset which can be rolled out nationally through the Network. The second project, Plus Workflow, will map workflows across the SDEs, including use of AI.
The funding is part of a £1.5m award from NHS England across the SDE Network, funding eight ‘driver’ projects to accelerate the capabilities of the network. The South West SDE is also partner on two projects led by Wessex SDE.
The Diabetes Driver
This project will define and test a diabetes core dataset, identifying relevant data from across GP records, hospital data and consented cohort study data.
Bringing these sources together will create a more complete picture of the impact of diabetes on patients, and how they are currently managed in the healthcare system. It will support cutting-edge research into new treatments, personalised care and better outcomes for people living with all types of diabetes across the UK.
The project will provide an important case study for establishing nationally available disease-based datasets, with common definitions and structures, that can fulfil commercial and academic research needs.
Partners on the £250,000 project include Kent, Medway and Sussex SDE, Wessex SDE, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Exeter Biomedical Research Centre, the Universities of Exeter, Bristol, Dundee and Copenhagen, Health Data Research UK’s Diabetes Data Science Catalyst, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, East Kent Hospitals University Trust, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Health Innovation South West.
Dr John Dennis, Associate Professor at University of Exeter, said:
“The Diabetes Driver project will create a ground-breaking national data resource for diabetes research, made possible through the SDE Network. With more than 5 million people in the UK living with diabetes and the condition costing the NHS £10.7 billion each year, this new resource will enable vital research to improve care, prevent complications, and help reduce costs.”
Plus Workflow
The project will map and analyse the workflows and processes across the SDE Network and the use of automation and digital tools, including AI, to manage them.
It will focus on processes that are:
- Unique to SDEs such as data access governance, research onboarding and federation workflows
- Considered high-volume and essential to SDE delivery
From these current processes, it will examine:
- What remains manual
- What has been automated
- Which tools have been adopted or trialled
This will help identify good practice, challenges and common patterns across the SDEs.
Receiving £190,000, partners include Kent, Medway and Sussex SDE, Thames Valley and Surrey SDE and Wessex SDE.
Professor Chris Kipps of University Hospital Southampton, who leads the Wessex SDE programme, said:
“Sharing knowledge and common ways of working across the SDE network is essential for timely access to research data and making best use of public money, so we are delighted to be contributing to this essential project.”
Partners in two other projects
The South West SDE is partnering on two Wessex SDE led projects.
HPO Phenotype Software will develop a user-friendly, open-source tool that reads routine clinic letters for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It aims to find key health issues – such as depression, anxiety, anaemia, fatigue, and joint pain – that often go unrecorded in standard medical forms.
A dementia driver project linking data across five regions (Wessex, Kent, Medway and Sussex, Thames Valley and Surrey, South West and the West Midlands) as a testbed for a future national registry.
Dr Charlie Kenward, Research Clinical Lead at Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (BNSSG ICB) and a local Bristol GP, leads the South West SDE. He said:
“We are delighted to be leading two driver projects and partnering in two more.
“Our Diabetes Driver is potentially a gamechanger in diabetes research. And Plus Workflow will help us understand how different SDEs are managing their workflows, unlocking efficiencies and knowledge that will help the Network develop. We are looking forward to getting started.”