Why we use and analyse health data
With the rise of digital technologies, there are more data available than ever before. Healthcare is no exception. And not only are there more data, but they are coming from different places. Alongside the more traditional sources such as government, healthcare systems and academia, data are being churned out from medical devices, wearables, mobile apps and websites.
Generating meaningful insights from these increasingly complex data requires linking up and consolidating them, transforming this valuable resource into useful information that can improve healthcare and inform policy, both locally and globally.
Our work in this area aims to enhance patient care through more effective use of health data. We use data science and analytics to make impactful discoveries about both individual people and whole populations.
Highlights from our health data and advanced analytics work
Networked Data Lab
The Networked Data Lab (NDL) is a collaborative network of teams across the UK which focuses on using linked datasets to provide insights on different topics regarding health and social care. The Institute of Global Health Innovation together with Imperial College Health Partners works together as the Northwest London Lab in the NDL. The data used for this analysis comes from the Discover Now dataset.
In previous phases of this project we have conducted analyses about shielding patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and young people’s mental health, as well as the impact unpaid carers experience as a consequence of their duties.
We have published insights on intermediate care services. See the report 'Are intermediate care services stretched too thin?'.
The NDL is currently working on the topic of elective care waiting lists (due to be published in the spring, 2025). This will be followed by work on the final topic, housing and health.
Value of NHS Data
One of the greatest assets the NHS has is its data, but extracting value from it for the health system and its patients requires significant work.
In 2020, we published our first white paper on this topic, ‘NHS Data: Maximising its impact on the health and wealth of the UK’, which provided a post COVID-19 update on the UK’s health policy data landscape. This paper highlighted how securely accessed datasets could rapidly translate to practical treatments that have helped millions of people worldwide.
Our second paper, published in 2023, ‘NHS Data: Maximising its impact for all’, identified strategic and technical recommendations to move towards developing a health data ecosystem that is designed so that patients and the system can maximise the clinical, societal and financial value of NHS patient data.
The team is currently working on the third white paper on this topic, which will be published in the autumn of 2025.
Our people - get in touch
Email the Big Data and Analytical Unit
Sophia Batchelor, Analytics Fellow
Mr Erik Mayer, Clinical Reader