Abstract

Using linked electronic health record (EHR) data presents a novel set of challenges for research: understanding how, why, when, and what information is recorded, and converting this into data that can be analysed using conventional epidemiological techniques. In this talk I will discuss research based on two different EHR collections. The first relates to identifying cardiovascular conditions using national-level data from the ClinicAl disease research using Linked Bespoke studies and Electronic Records (CALIBER) project at the Farr Institute London. The second will touch on the complexities of studying patients in treatment for psychiatric conditions using the EHR data held at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Biomedical Research Centre (SLaM BRC ) and Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience. I will highlight some of the emerging strategies that these, and other linked records projects, are developing to help interpret EHR data and facilitate transparent, reproducible research on a large scale.