Data-Resource Profile: United Kingdom Optimum Patient Care Research Database

Area of Science:

• Clinical informatics
• Epidemiology
• Primary care research

Background:

• Electronic medical records (EMRs) in UK primary care are valuable for clinical research.
• The Optimum Patient Care Research Database (OPCRD) is a key EMR database.
• Profiling the OPCRD is essential to understand its research utility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To profile the Optimum Patient Care Research Database (OPCRD).
• To highlight its characteristics and potential for clinical research.
• To showcase its contribution to medical research.

Main Methods:

• The OPCRD collects data from 992 UK general practices, covering over 16.6 million patients.
• Data includes longitudinal follow-up, demographic information, and patient-reported outcomes from validated questionnaires.
• Data is extracted from major UK clinical software systems using multiple coding standards.

Main Results:

• The OPCRD has supported over 96 peer-reviewed publications across various medical conditions, including COVID-19.
• The database is broadly representative of the UK population.
• It offers a mean patient follow-up of 11.7 years.

Conclusions:

• The OPCRD is a unique and powerful resource for epidemiological research.
• Its strengths include large size, UK-wide coverage, and comprehensive patient data.
• The inclusion of patient-reported outcomes, especially for respiratory conditions, enhances its value for research.