The NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre and University of Exeter researchers are playing a central role in a new £250,000 NHS-funded Diabetes Driver project that will create a groundbreaking national data resource for diabetes research, using linked GP, hospital and cohort study data across the Secure Data Environment (SDE) Network.
The project forms part of a wider £1.5m investment from NHS England in eight “driver projects” to accelerate the development of the NHS Secure Data Environment Network. The South West SDE is leading two of these projects, including the Diabetes Driver, with Exeter BRC as a key partner.
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.
The project brings together partners including the NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre, the University of Exeter, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, and universities and NHS organisations across the UK and Europe.
Dr John Dennis, Associate Professor at University of Exeter, said:
“The diabetes driver project will create a groundbreaking 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.”
Alongside the Diabetes Driver, the South West SDE is also leading the Plus Workflow project, which will examine how Secure Data Environments across England manage data access processes and how automation and AI could improve efficiency. Exeter BRC is supporting this work through its partnership in the wider SDE programme.
More details on this exciting project can be found here.
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