Abstract

Healthcare is arguably the last major industry to be transformed by the information age. Deployments of information technology have only scratched the surface of possibilities for the potential influence of information and computer science on the quality and cost-effectiveness of healthcare. In this talk, the vision, objectives and scientific strategy of HDR UK will be discussed; specifically, the opportunities provided by computer science and “big data” to transform health care delivery models. Examples will be given from nationwide research and development programmes that integrate electronic patient records with biologic and health system data. Two themes will be explored; specifically:

How the size of the UK (65M residents), allied to a relatively stable population and unified health care structures facilitate the application of health informatics to support nationwide quality-assured provision of care.

How population-based datasets and disease registries can be integrated with biologic information to facilitate (i) epidemiology; (ii) drug safety studies; (iii) enhanced efficiency of clinical trials through automated follow-up of clinical events and treatment response; and, (iv) the conduct of large-scale genetic, pharmacogenetics, and family-based studies essential for precision medicine.