Digital Innovation

The ARC KSS Data Science Hub is an open access resource identifying and exploring national and regional (Kent, Surrey, Sussex) health and social care datasets. A space where data access barriers are addressed, in the hope of encouraging improved healthcare based on the needs of everyday people as users of health and care services.

Our Objectives:

• To develop and support NHS data infrastructure for analysis and research in the KSS region.
• To build capacity by developing guides and resources for analysts and researchers and bring clarity over access pathways and data content.
• To deliver new knowledge and insights from analysis of health and care data. 

Available Resources on the ARC KSS Data Science Hub:

• National and regional dataset resource profiles and guides – including information on access pathways, costs, training requirements, access agreements, and more.
• Beginners guides for handling routine NHS data and developing clinical code lists.
• Overview of previous project – Unlocking Data.
• News, publications and upcoming events.
• Regularly updated blog content covering the latest developments and news in health data science. 

You can access the ARC KSS Data Science Hub here.

As well as this infrastructure, the data hub, a project funded by the Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex, helps researchers learn how to analyse routinely collected data sets. The team has written lots of resources for researchers to use on their health data analysis journey. These are available on the bespoke data hub website. The team always welcomes enquiries from researchers from across the region and are happy to help and advise anyone who wants to start working with NHS data.

What type of research does the data hub carry out?

As well as supporting others, hub team members carry out research themselves. For the last two years, they have been researching who is at risk of a late diagnosis of lung or ovarian cancer. Using anonymised, linked data, from GP practices, hospitals and the cancer registry, they have shown that patients who already have a long-term condition, with similar symptoms to their cancer, are at risk of a later diagnosis, even if we take into account their other medical conditions, where they live, their age and other important risk factors. The team are also looking at how long-term care for patients with illnesses, like dementia and cancer, might differ based on factors like the deprivation of the area they live in, their ethnicity, their level of frailty, and the different medications they take.

Steroid-Induced Hyperglycaemia in primary care

Steroids are commonly used to treat a variety of illnesses, but they can cause high blood sugar levels—even in people without diabetes. Managing this condition at home can be difficult.

A research team from the University of Surrey and East Surrey Hospital is exploring how digital tools might help patients better manage their condition after leaving the hospital.

Digital Breast Health Awareness for Black African Women

Black African women in the UK are more likely to experience worse breast cancer outcomes. A new project led by the University of Surrey is working with young Black African women to co-create a culturally relevant digital tool that raises awareness of breast health and encourages healthy lifestyle habits.

Read summary.

Improving Virtual Consultations for People with Learning Disabilities

Since the pandemic, virtual consultations have become more common. This project looks at how people with learning disabilities, their families, and healthcare providers experience these appointments.

Working with community partners, the team is co-designing resources and guidance to make virtual consultations more supportive, inclusive, and effective.

Visit the project webpage for further information.

Read full summary of the research.

DAVIT: Visualising Domestic Abuse Data Across Surrey

Domestic abuse is a serious issue that requires coordinated efforts from multiple organisations. A team from Surrey County Council, the University of Surrey, and the University of Kent has developed DAVIT—a tool that helps different agencies share and visualise data on domestic abuse.

DAVIT uses anonymised data to create maps showing hotspots and trends, helping organisations plan better responses together.

Click here for more information.

Further reading: An innovative Data sharing and Visualisation Tool (DAVIT) to improve domestic abuse data insight and multi-agency collaborations: An explorative study of acceptability, relevance and implementation considerations - ScienceDirect

Creating a Digital Inclusion Framework for Health and Care

While digital tools can improve health and care, they risk excluding people who can’t easily access or use them. A collaborative team from across Kent, Surrey, and Sussex worked with NHS Sussex to create a Digital Inclusion Framework.

This framework helps health and care organisations design digital services that are accessible to everyone. It’s already being used across Sussex and has influenced national NHS guidance.

Learn more: Digital Inclusion Framework Website

Unlocking Health Data Across the Region

In the South East England region of Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS), part of the NHS are being joined together for the first time and are working using NHS patient date to help understand the health needs of their populations.  The NHS is also working closely with the county and city councils, which employ teams working in public health. These team hope to use the joined-up patient data to understand which local communities are at risk of poor health, so they can design strategies to meet communities' needs.

We’ve worked on breaking down barriers to using linked health data across Kent, Surrey, and Sussex to improve public health decisions and services.

Watch this short video featuring researchers and participants in the project discuss their views about sharing health data and what it means to them.

Find out more about the Unlocking Data Project here.

Case study: Public involvement impact review: Unlocking data

Further reading:

Novel Anonymised Linked Dataset of Health and Social Care Records for Public Health Intelligence: The Sussex Integrated Dataset

Understanding how to build a social licence for using novel linked datasets for planning and research in Kent, Surrey and Sussex: results of deliberative focus groups

We support a range of PhD research projects in Digital Health and Data Science, working in partnership with institutions across Kent, Surrey, and Sussex. Our current projects focus on using technology and data to improve healthcare outcomes and tackle real-world challenges.

Digital Monitoring of Urine Output in Hip Fracture Patients

This project explores the use of digital devices to monitor urine output in patients recovering from hip fracture surgery. Monitoring urine output is essential for detecting early signs of patient deterioration, including acute kidney injury (AKI), which affects up to 28 per cent of these patients. Current monitoring practices are often incomplete, leading to “missed care” and worse outcomes.

Next steps:
To evaluate whether a digital device can improve urine output monitoring and reduce the risk of missed care and AKI in hospital settings.

Diagnosing Atrial Fibrillation Using Machine Learning

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a serious heart condition that increases the risk of stroke and other complications. This project uses machine learning to detect AF by analysing sinus rhythm ECGs taken after an episode, offering a faster and more accurate alternative to current diagnostic methods.

Next steps:

• Fine-tune models for optimal prediction of AF.
• Explore combining different methods to boost accuracy and reliability.

Supporting Older Adults with Technology During COVID-19

This project investigates how families and carers can help older people overcome digital barriers and improve their use and acceptance of technology, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.