Importing anonymised patient data into a database for health research and patient care improvement

摘要

A system 4 for use in a network stores data imported from one or more distinct devices 1, 2, 3 in a database 40. First module 41, e.g. at a GP practice, searches storage device 11 containing a databank of patient clinical data, removes personal information to generate anonymous data and links a first (unique) identifier to the anonymous data. First module 41 generates an anonymous set of requests, i.e. an anonymised questionnaire, to be sent to a user. Second module 42, at a remote location 400, imports the anonymous data, the identifier and a set of anonymous responses, i.e. a completed questionnaire, and sends it to database 40 for storage. The anonymous patient data within database 40 may be used for health research, patient care improvement and clinical reviews and may relate to disease groups including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. System 4 may further include an adapter 33 to an inhaler of a user and/or an acceleration tester 33. Second module 42 may perform verification of imported data or case-control matching on stored data. Database 40 may allocate a second identifier to the first identifier to ensure that each patient record in fully anonymous.