UCLH has begun a proof-of-concept study testing a programme that semi-automates transfer of patient data from electronic health records to research-specific software.
The movement of information from electronic health records to research applications for clinical research studies is currently done manually. Semi-automation could make research cheaper and faster, and bring the benefits of research to patients more quickly.
The data transfer platform programme being tested is called Archer and was developed by the company IgniteData.
Initial testing will be conducted using Epic, UCLH’s electronic healthcare records system, but will not use real patient data. The plan is then to test Archer alongside the manual process of data transfer as part of an existing cancer study at UCLH sponsored by AstraZeneca using data from 3-4 patients at UCLH. All patients whose records are shared in this small study will have given consent for their data to be used.
The work is part of an EU initiative called EHR to EDC (Electronic Health Records to Electronic Data Capture). EDC is an example of a type of research-specific software used to manage research studies. In the oncology study sponsored by AstraZeneca, data will be transferred into AstraZeneca’s EDC.
This three-partner project brings together an innovative large hospital, a large corporate sponsor and a British SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) to demonstrate and validate that the Archer cloud-based software can securely and efficiently help staff at UCLH to semi-automate study data delivery between Electronic Health Records and key research applications such as EDC.
If testing is successful, in future all research studies could use EHR to EDC technology.
Dr Wai Keong Wong, Chief Research Information Officer at UCLH, said: “Automating study data capture has been a high priority item for UCLH. When IgniteData approached us with a solution that can be customised to different EDCs, Sponsors and Contract Research Organisations, whilst still providing the hospital with control over their patient’s data, driving this forward with them and AZ was a no brainer. Seeing Archer now actively automating data from UCLH’s Epic EHR with such ease is really extremely encouraging for the future conducting clinical trials in digitally-enabled healthcare organisations.”
