The Health Improvement Network
- The Health Improvement Network
The Health Improvement Network (THIN) is a large database of anonymised medical records collected at GP surgeries around the UK. The THIN database is similar in structure and content to the larger General Practice Research Database (GPRD), which is managed by the United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Between 1994 and 2002, EPIC (UK) held a non-exclusive licence to use GPRD for public health benefitting research, on a not for profit basis. On the expiry of that licence, THIN was developed by EPIC as an alternative to their license to use the GPRD, and a substantial number of primary care practitioners now contribute data to both resources. Unlike GPRD, THIN has no restrictions limiting it to not-for-profit activities in the public benefit. Data collection commenced in January 2003, using information extracted from Vision, a widely used general practice management software package developed by In Practice Systems. The database is regularly updated and currently contains data on over 5 million individuals living in the United Kingdom.
THIN data are subject to a number of quality control standards to ensure consistent recording of important clinical outcomes and indicators including:-
*Asthma
*Coronary heart disease
*Diabetes mellitus
*Epilepsy
*Menopause
*Hypertension
*Hypothyroidism
*Leg ulcers
*Heart failure
*Warfarin use
*Lithium use
*Use of hormonal contraception
*Pernicious anaemia
*Rheumatoid arthritis
*Secondary stroke prevention
*Lower back pain
*Mental health
*Smoking status
Clinical data in THIN are catalogued using Read Codes, a comprehensive and searchable classification scheme for medical conditions, symptoms and important background information. This system is complemented by a set of Additional Health Data (AHD) codes which provide a standardised system for the recording of a wide variety of clinical measurements.
THIN is an important resource in the field of epidemiology, providing an inexpensive means to study the causes of disease and effectiveness of interventions in a large, representative population.
External links
* [http://www.thin-uk.com/ The Health Improvement Network]
* [http://www.epic-uk.org/ EPIC]
* [http://www.inps.co.uk/ In Practice Systems]
* [http://www.gprd.com/ The General Practice Research Database]
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