Major health information and increasingly more ordinary health information as well as prescription records are held on Computer. The practice is registered under the Data Protection Act.
The data held is used for audit purposes within the practice and in an anonymised form (ie without patient identification) for audit purposes by the Health Authority/Primary Care Trust. Audit is the method used to check that standards are maintained and if possible improved. It is now carried out by all parts of the health service. Anonymised Data on the prescribing by the practice is also shared with outside bodies.
The practice is part of the National Framework of General Practices used by the Medical Research Council (MRC) to take part in national research projects. Studies completed so far include:-
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Treatment of Mild to Moderate Hypertension (a study of treatment for high Blood Pressure) |
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Treatment of hypertension in the Elderly (similar study for people over 70 years old) |
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Life style intervention (Does Health advice make people change their behavior?) |
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HRT use (Looking at the numbers of women taking HRT and if they stopped why they stopped?) |
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TRUST (To find out if using salbutamol regularly can effect the airways of asthmatics) |
From time to time we work with the MRC to identify patients from our records who may be eligible to take part in trials. Only some will be eligible and they will be invited to have further details. All research is voluntary and closely monitored both locally, and nationally by an independent ethics group.
We are grateful to patients who have taken part in these national research projects. Many important results have come from them which has helped in the treatment of disease.
©
Greensands Medical Practice 24/5/2000 & 20/03/04
Last updated 20/03/04