Data for quality assurance, resource planning improvements and improved patient outcomes - for integrated care systems
THIN® - Data for Integrated Care Systems (ICS)
ICSs and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) are constantly responding and adapting to changing local and national circumstances. The Health Improvement Network (THIN®) database is a large UK primary care database that contains anonymised longitudinal patient records covering approximately 6% of the UK population, nationally representative of the UK population.
THIN data supports ICSs and CCGs in planning and commissioning of health care services for their local area. Data is collected prolifically by GPs, at the frontline of primary care, with around 6 million GP appointments every week and almost 120 million outpatient appointments a year in England alone.
As membership bodies with local GP Practices THIN works directly in partnership with both GP Practices and ICS and CCGs to ensure the quality of the data collected. In turn this supports the shared objectives of service delivery and improvements for the local population, as part of the wider healthcare system.
What is THIN® data used for?
THIN® Data is used in research and analysis across healthcare to better understand the patient pathway and influence significant improvements in a number of areas.
Population Health Management
Primary Care Policy
Secondary Care Policy
Epidemiological Research
Pharmacovigilance
Evidence for Drug Approvals
If you want to find out about how these data applications integrate and the potential to support your own organisation's objectives get in touch
Governance - managing the data
The THIN® Advisory Committee provides advice on the operations of the database, to ensure that it continues to be used in a way that maximises its research value in the best interests of the public whilst protecting the rights of its data subjects.
Our Advisory Committee meets three times each year, or as needed, and consist of representatives from the following organisations and roles:
• THIN® management employed by Cegedim• Data scientists and epidemiologists from THIN® academic partners
• NHS clinicians, including general practitioners
• Patient representatives
In addition we work to the highest of regulatory standards and the regulatory bodies we have approval from include:
FAQ's
- What information does THIN® collect?
Registration Details, patient encrypted ID, year of birth, sex, registration dates. For patients less than 1 year old, the month as well as year of birth is collected. Therapy records, acute and repeat prescriptions, dates and issues, including prescribing instructions, drug codes and dosages. Medical history records and clinical codes. Additional health data, including blood tests and other examination results.
- Real World Evidence - how is THIN data used for research?
The collected Real-world Data is used mainly to carry out studies including scientific and statistical studies, producing Real-world Evidence to inform research. This can either be directly by THIN® or by a third-party entity to whom the data is transmitted in anonymised form. These studies are mainly intended for the Life Sciences sector, the medical and academic world as well as research centres. THIN® has been cited in over 1,600 publications and that list continues to grow with around 20 new reports added every month.
Contact our THIN team
Complete the form below or you can email us directly info@the-health-improvement-network.comor call us on +44 (0) 207 501 7540.