Clinical Practice Research Datalink, Medical research database in London, United Kingdom
The Clinical Practice Research Datalink is a collection of patient records from general practitioner offices across the United Kingdom. It contains information about symptoms, diagnostic tests, treatments, and specialist referrals from millions of patients.
The database was founded in 1987 when a company paid general practitioners for providing anonymous health information. It grew into one of the largest sources of medical research data in Britain.
The database reflects how general practitioners in Britain function as primary care providers who document patient treatments and medical encounters. It shows how everyday health information collected in doctor's offices becomes available for scientific research.
The data is provided in anonymized form and is subject to strict protections to safeguard patient privacy. Researchers must follow established access procedures and their projects are reviewed before they can access patient information.
The database links information from general practitioner offices with data from hospitals and death registries for over half its patients. This connection allows for more complete research studies because scientists can follow a patient's entire journey through the healthcare system.
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