LSE Health has been awarded its first major European big data grant.
From January 2017 it will coordinate 36 organisations in a public-private consortium with a total budget of 7.2 million Euros.
As the leading academic partner, LSE Health will play a prominent role in developing the Innovative Medicines Initiative’s “Big Data for Better Outcomes” BD4BO) programme strategy.
The availability of more and better data carries the promise that the most effective treatment with the highest value can be identified, leading to better patient outcomes and more efficient spending of health care budgets.
Although a myriad of “real world” data points is routinely collected in health care systems by providers, payers, registries, drug manufacturers and others, it remains unclear how this wealth of data can be used to promote patient-centred and cost-effective care.
For the project LSE Health will provide methodological guidance on collection and analysis of real world data to ensure quality and consistency of individual projects, in line with the BD4BO programme objective.
The methodological research focus is highly policy focussed. Robust methodological criteria need to be identified if routinely collected data are to be used to promote high-value health care, for example through the use of real world outcomes in health policy levers such as performance-based payment.
LSE researchers will contribute to the development of a “roadmap” that charts the methodological steps required from identification and measurement of meaningful outcomes to their use in value-based health care systems.
Research conducted at the Centre will review strategic use of big data to transform health care systems and how this transformation is envisioned by policy-makers.
To better understand the data landscape in Europe, researchers will identify what data sources are available for a range of disease areas in European countries. LSE will then examine whether available data are fit for purpose to answer questions about the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of treatments.
While interest in data from real world sources is increasing, the use of this type of evidence for decision-making about market approval for new drugs, reimbursement, and assessing performance of providers depends on the extent to which decision-makers can trust the data and methods used to analyse them.
The mapping of unmet needs in big data, including gaps in data availability to follow patients’ journeys in the health care system and a potential mismatch between regulatory requirements and available data, will play a critical role in the definition of future research topics.
LSE Health Director, Professor Elias Mossialos commented: “This grant puts LSE at the heart of the big data debate, working with key players across Europe to raise the profile of the role of data in improving healthcare.
“LSE looks forward to working with public and private partners to drive common practices in data collection and usage, and to set the agenda for future investment in the area.”
The Consortium
The consortium comprises organisations ranging from government bodies, national registries and biobanks, patient organisations, academic partners, to world-leading pharmaceutical manufacturers.
LSE will work closely with the English and Swedish Health Technology Assessment bodies, NICE and TLV, as well as with excellent academic partners, including Imperial College London, Semmelweis University Budapest and others.
Data privacy and ethical issues related to big data collection and use will be investigated by German and French research institutes TMF and Inserm, along with the Norwegian Institute for Public Health and pan-European patient organisations.
BD4BO seeks to realise the potential for big data to transform healthcare in Europe, including defining, accessing and using relevant data, and increasing patient engagement through digital solutions. The Innovative Medicines Initiative is the world’s largest public-private partnership for health research.