Applied health informatics

Applied health informatics includes the use of big data and analytics, alongside digital platforms, to improve health and care. Ultimately, we aim to enable "learning" health and care systems.

NIHR ARC West provides national leadership on applied health informatics across the ARCs, including convening the cross-ARC Applied Health Informatics Network. The network’s workstreams are:

Observational research
Artificial intelligence
Development, evaluation and implementation of digital tools
Patient and public involvement and engagement

This work is part of NIHR’s national leadership areas and is linked to our applied data science methodological theme.

What does our work in applied health informatics cover?

At our inaugural cross-ARC meeting in 2019 we agreed that we would focus on:

applied health research using routine data, including the use of artificial intelligence
digitally delivered health and care
patient and public involvement and engagement on the use of personal data in research

Related research

NHS workers in face masks having a meeting

Understanding what affected COVID-19 outcomes in care homes in Bath and North East Somerset

Why are blood tests requested in primary care and how are results managed?

Paper:

Why test study: a UK-wide audit using the Primary Care Academic CollaboraTive to explore the reasons for primary care testing

Read the paper

Investigating the safety of statins using regression discontinuity analysis

Paper:

Regression discontinuity analysis for pharmacovigilance: statin example reflected trial findings showing little evidence of harm

Read the paper

Better Care: Improving efficiency in hospitals by predicting demand

Paper:

Impact of pausing elective hip and knee replacement surgery during winter 2017 on subsequent service provision at a major NHS Trust: a descriptive observational study using interrupted time series

Read the paper

Roll-out of Germ Defence website through GP practices during the COVID-19 pandemic

Paper:

Implementing Germ Defence digital behaviour change intervention via all primary care practices in England to reduce respiratory infections during the COVID-19 pandemic: an efficient cluster randomised controlled trial using the OpenSAFELY platform

Read the paper

Evaluating the long-term impact of investment in psychiatric liaison services at University Hospitals Bristol

Paper:

Long-term impact of the expansion of a hospital liaison psychiatry service on patient care and costs following emergency department attendances for self-harm

Read the paper