Active not recruitingOBSERVATIONAL

Unrecognised Comorbidity Detection in Hospitalised Patients

Millions of people in the UK have health conditions like diabetes or heart problems without knowing it. Catching these early means treatments can start sooner, reducing serious complications such as heart attacks. Hospitals collect lots of information, like blood test results, which could help spot these conditions. This study will use past patient information to create and test a digital tool. This tool will help pinpoint hospital patients who are most likely to have, or develop, a long-term condition. The goal is to use this tool in real-time to suggest who needs further checks, ultimately leading to better health for many.

At a glance

Status

Active not recruiting

Sponsor

University of Oxford

Enrolment target

4,500,000

Start

01 Jul 2024

Estimated completion

30 Nov 2027

Diabetes Atrial Fibrillation (AF)Cardiac Disease

What is this study about?

Many people in the UK are living with health conditions like diabetes or certain heart problems (specifically, an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation) without realising it. These 'hidden' conditions can, over time, lead to serious health issues such as heart attacks, strokes, or kidney problems. If these conditions are found earlier, doctors can start treatments sooner, which can make a big difference in preventing these complications and helping people live healthier lives.

Currently, discovering these conditions often relies on people noticing symptoms and visiting their doctor, or attending routine NHS Health Checks. However, hospitals see millions of patients every year, and during their stay, they collect a lot of useful information like test results and blood pressure readings. Researchers believe this routine information could be really helpful in spotting early signs of these long-term conditions.

This study, therefore, aims to develop a clever digital tool. It will use information from past patient records (both hospital and GP files) to learn what patterns might suggest someone has an undiagnosed condition, or is very likely to develop one soon. The goal is to create a system that can be used in hospitals to identify which patients might benefit from extra tests to check for conditions like diabetes or atrial fibrillation. Finding these conditions early means people can get the right care at the right time, leading to better health outcomes overall.

Key takeaways

Millions in the UK have undiagnosed conditions.
Early diagnosis can prevent serious health issues.
Study uses existing hospital & GP data to find hidden conditions.
A digital tool will be developed for earlier identification.
Focus is on diabetes and atrial fibrillation initially.
This research aims to improve future patient care.

Who may be eligible?

To be part of the records used in this study, people needed to be adults aged 18 or over. They must have been admitted to one of the NHS hospitals taking part in the study and also be registered with a local GP practice.

There is one main reason someone's information would not be included: if they had previously told the NHS they do not want their health information used for research purposes. This is known as 'opting out' through a national service.

It's important to remember that this study uses existing, anonymised patient records, so individual patients are not asked to 'join' or take part directly. Their past hospital and GP data is used to help build and test this new digital tool.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you 18 years old or older?
Have you previously been admitted to an NHS hospital?
Are you registered with a local GP practice?
Have you *not* opted out of your health data being used for research?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

This study does not involve patients directly participating or doing anything differently. It's a research project that looks at information already collected during past hospital stays and from GP records. Researchers will use this existing, anonymised data to develop and test their new digital tool. Therefore, you won't be asked to visit the hospital more often, have extra tests, take specific medications, or have any follow-up appointments related to this research. Your personal care will not be affected. The study is about improving how future patients are screened.

Potential risks and benefits

The main benefit of this research is that it aims to improve how hidden health conditions like diabetes and heart problems are found in hospital patients. If successful, this could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment for many people in the future, preventing serious complications and improving their long-term health. Because this study uses existing, anonymised patient records and doesn't involve any direct patient contact or changes to their care, there are no direct risks to individuals whose data is used. Your personal information will be handled with strict privacy protocols. You always have the right to withdraw your consent for your data to be used in research if you have opted out via the national data opt-out service.

Locations (1)

Some site locations are approximate. We're improving this — please verify with the trial team before travelling.

Critical Care Research Group, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford
Verified postcode
Oxford, United Kingdom

Common questions

What is the study trying to achieve?

It aims to create a digital tool to help find people in hospital who might have undiagnosed long-term conditions like diabetes or certain heart problems.

Will I have to do anything if my data is used?

No, you don't need to do anything. The study uses existing, anonymised hospital and GP records to develop the tool.

How will my privacy be protected?

Your personal details will be kept private and your data will be anonymised, meaning it can't be linked back to you personally during the research.

What conditions are they focusing on first?

Initially, the study is focusing on diabetes and atrial fibrillation (a type of irregular heartbeat).

Why is this research important?

Catching these conditions earlier can lead to sooner treatment, which can help prevent serious health problems like heart attacks or strokes later on.