US-based GE Healthcare and Thomson Reuters have developed a new data and analytics solution. This is expected to help pharmaceutical firms and other healthcare organisations to conduct evidence-based research on data that enables them to better quantify the effectiveness of medical treatments on discrete patient populations.
Healthcare analytics teams at GE and Thomson Reuters now have the ability to combine commonly used outcomes research data from the Thomson Reuters MarketScan Research Databases with de-identified electronic medical records data, while maintaining patient privacy and full compliance with HIPAA standards. As a result, it is expected that researchers and physicians can now gain new evidence-based insights into treatment protocols. These insights can reportedly help drive improved health outcomes.
The addition of de-identified clinical data provided by healthcare providers using EMR means a research study can evaluate medical treatments - commonly called 'outcomes research' or 'comparative effectiveness research.' The addition of the de-identified clinical data from the EMR means a research study can link de-identified claims data from a population of patients diagnosed with a particular condition such as hypertension, with de-identified clinical data on everything from a patient's body mass index, blood pressure, symptoms and more. This research would provide more specific evidence to enable clinicians and patients to make better informed decisions, according to the companies.
Researchers from GE Healthcare and Thomson Reuters first demonstrated this approach to linking de-identified data in a presentation at the annual meeting of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research held in Atlanta in May 2010. The presentation, which used hypertension as a sample set, combined de-identified clinical data collected from more than 9,000 electronic medical records with MarketScan claims and prescription data from more than 30 million individuals. Each dataset has since grown considerably, resulting in an enhanced data source.
Teams from both organisations have developed algorithms which enable the de-identification of patient data without loss of utility. The companies subsequently proved the ability to use these proprietary methodologies to link additional therapeutic areas. They have now entered into a partnership to provide research and analytical services based on this proven capability.
Search for more Analytical Tools
To access our daily STM news feed through your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphones, please visit www.myscoope.com for a mobile friendly reading experience.
