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Ear Nose and Throat (ENT)

Farr Institute, London and evidENT are committed to conducting high-quality research to improve health and health care for patients with ENT, Hearing and Balance problems.

The Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research, London delivers high-quality, cutting-edge research linking electronic health data with other forms of research and routinely collected data, as well as building capacity in health informatics research. The Farr Institute is a distributed research network which aims to deliver cutting-edge research using electronic health data and to build capacity in health informatics research. The network comprises four nodes distributed across the UK and led from University College London (Farr Institute @ London), University of Manchester (Farr Institute @ HeRC), Swansea University (Farr Institute @ CIPHER), and the University of Dundee (Farr Institute @ Scotland), with funding from the Medical Research Council and a 10-funder consortium.

evidENT at UCL are a multidisciplinary research team dedicated to developing the best evidence for ENT, Hearing and Balance care, with a focus on patient-centred research and its rapid application to patient care.

Together, Farr Institute @ London and evidENT are developing a patient-centred, collaborative research programme to lead on health informatics-based clinical research in ENT, Hearing and Balance.

Strategy

The Farr-evidENT collaboration wishes to achieve five main objectives:

Use linked health data to answer important clinical research questions in ENT, Hearing and Balance

The Farr-evidENT collaboration provides a platform to utilise linked health data to report on:

• the epidemiology of ENT conditions, in particular ENT infections • the utilisation of health services for different ENT conditions • the effectiveness of new and current treatments in ENT, Hearing and Balance.

evidENT initiates the important clinical questions underlying the research, as prioritised in the UK Research Agenda (GENERATE), and provides expert clinical knowledge and epidemiological expertise in ENT, Hearing and Balance to guide ongoing research.

Farr brings in health informatics expertise and provides access to linked Electronic Health Records while providing a secure infrastructure to protect patient confidentiality.

Farr and evidENT come together to combine clinical and health informatics expertise and, through a secure infrastructure, utilise linked routine health data to maximise outcomes from ENT, Hearing and Balance research

Develop and implement clinical Decision Support Systems into ENT Electronic Health Records and registries

Clinical Decision Support Systems facilitate clinical decision making by mapping patient-level results from epidemiological studies to individual patients.

Farr has expertise in developing Decision Support Systems using findings from their epidemiological work in a wide range of disease areas.

evidENT recognises areas where Decision Support Systems can add value to patient care within ENT, Hearing and Balance and aims to build on their knowledge and capacity in this area.

Recognising the importance of incorporating patient preference into clinical decision support tools, the Farr-evidENT joint research programme enables researchers and clinicians to work together with patients to develop and implement decision support system.

Farr and evidENT come together to utilise their multidisciplinary skills to guide the development and implementation of Decision Support Systems in ENT, Hearing and Balance care

Improve the quality of Electronic Health Records in ENT, Hearing and Balance

To ensure that high-quality clinical research data are captured during ENT, Hearing and Balance care, Farr-evidENT aims to improve the quality of Electronic Health Records in the field. Structured records will be developed using Farr-evidENT’s knowledge and expertise gained from contact with clinicians and patients, and from data analysis of Electronic Health Records.

Farr and evidENT work together to develop structured Electronic Health Records to maximise the value of data captured in the care of ENT, Hearing and Balance patients

Integrate Patient and Public Involvement into research

To ensure research is of high quality and is meaningful to patients, Farr-evidENT’s research focuses on the needs identified by patients and their families, placing patients at the heart of its research programme. The Farr-evidENT collaboration ensures that patient preference is incorporated into the development of Electronic Health Records and Decision Support Systems.

Farr and evidENT are seen both locally and nationally as leading in high quality Patient and Public Involvement in ENT. evidENT are teaching on Patient Public Involvement within university programmes, and leading Patient Public Involvement workshops at national and international conferences. Farr maintains an advisory panel of lay representatives to consult on use of health information.

Farr and evidENT work together to embed Patient Public Involvement into all stages of their research and development by raising awareness and providing training to research and development teams

Invest in training and development to apply Health Informatics to a wide range of ENT, Hearing and Balance conditions

In order to develop the best researchers and research in ENT, Hearing and Balance, Farr-evidENT provides support and training opportunities for harnessing Electronic Health Records for research.

Recognising the potential of applying their skills and expertise to disease areas outside ENT, Hearing and Balance the Farr-evidENT teaches on research methodology and governance relevant to clinical research using Electronic Health Records (e.g. simulated trial design)u to PhD students and Academic Clinical Fellows, from all medical specialties and areas of research, taught through MScs (Health Informatics and Data Sciences for Research in Health and Medicine), short courses, seminars, tutorials and 1:1 teaching sessions.

Farr and evidENT come together to provide training to develop the best researchers and research in ENT, Hearing and Balance

Farr-evidENT Collaborators:

For any questions relating to the Farr-evidENT collaboration please contact Ms Hannah Evans, hannah.evans.09@ucl.ac.uk.

Farr-evidENT contacts:

Using linked electronic health data for research:
Ms Hannah Evans, hannah.evans.09@ucl.ac.uk

Decision support systems:
Mr Nishchay Mehta, nishchay.mehta.12@ucl.ac.uk

Electronic health records development
Dr Cian Hughes, cian.hughes@ucl.ac.uk

Training and development
Ms Hannah Evans, hannah.evans.09@ucl.ac.uk

Patient and Public Involvement
Ms Aneeka Degun, aneeka.degun.10@ucl.ac.uk