Renal registry to use InterSystems

The UK Renal Registry has chosen InterSystems to provide its national health informatics platform as it works on expanding the registry to cover more than one million chronic kidney disease patients.

The registry collects and analyses standardised data related to the occurrence, clinical management and outcome of renal disease, which it provides to renal units, NHS trusts and researchers to develop high levels of care.

It will use the InterSystems’ HealthShare platform to gather “near real-time” patient data on over 56,000 stage 5 CKD patients – the most severe stage of the disease – from 84 adult and paediatric renal units, as well as satellite haemodialysis units.

In the past, patient data has gone into the registry on a quarterly basis where it had to be manually validated, analysed and published in the registry’s annual report.

The platform will provide a daily data feed to update the registry, produce quarterly reports, record data with greater accuracy to reduce the need for validation, and make it easier to track and maintain individual patient records.

It will also allow clinicians to access a patient’s renal data even if they do not have an existing record at their treatment centre, intended to reduce errors and duplicate tests and help patients moving between transplant and dialysis units.

UK Renal Registry director Ron Cullen said the system will allow the registry to gather more data in a more accurate way, helping with its plans to expand the registry to over one million CKD patients from stages two to five.

“We also hope to use the platform to build new tools for clinicians and patients, such as a medicine reconciliation function, which will improve patient care as well as providing cost savings for the NHS,” Cullen said.

Intersystems international vice-president Steve Garrington said the company’s system will help clinicians to capture, share and act upon data in a more timely manner.

“The registry provides an invaluable service, and HealthShare will support its goal to improve the quality of care for renal patients in Britain,” Garrington said.