Table 1.
Summary of Database Characteristics
| Characteristics | QResearch | RCGP Research & Surveillance Network Center | Clinical Practice Research Datalink | UK Biobank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Established, y | 2003 | 1957 | 1989 | 2006 |
| GP practices, No. | 1,500 (increasing to 2,519 from Sept 2020) | 700 | 1,841 | Partial cohort coverage |
| Current patient records as of Jan 1, 2020, No. | 10.6 million (21 million from Sept 2020) | 5 million | 14 million | 0.5 million |
| Coverage, countries | England, Scotland | England | All of UK | England, Scotland, Wales |
| Age groups | All | All | All | 40-69 years at recruitment |
| Clinical system | EMIS Web | EMIS Web, INPS Vision, TPP System One | EMIS Web, INPS Vision | Bespoke system |
| Birth registration | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Death registration | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sociodemographic data | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ethnicity | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Genome-wide genotyping data | No | No | No | Yes |
| Geographical location | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lab tests incl COVID-19 results | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Anthropometric data | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Clinical signs and symptoms | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Drugs prescribed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Radiology reports | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Hospital referral | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hospital diagnosis | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GP attendances | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Hospital attendance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Additional key linkages to other data setsa | ||||
| Hospital episode statistics | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| HES outpatient data | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| HES accident and emergency data | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| HES diagnostic imaging data set | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Death registration data from the Office for National Statistics | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Intensive care data set: ICNARC Case Mix Program | Yes | No | Pending | No |
| URL for data access | https://www.qresearch.org | https://www.qresearch.org | https://www.cprd.com | https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/aboutbiobank-uk |
COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019; GP = general practitioner; HES = hospital episode statistics; ICNARC = Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre; INPS = In Practice Systems Limited; RCGP = Royal College of General Practitioners; TPP = The Phoenix Partnership.
Note: For more information see relevant websites. The data in these databases are likely to overlap (about 20% of patients will fall into at least 2 of the data sets). Additional governance and approvals will be needed to remove duplicate entries so that a single patient record and characteristics are included.
aFull lists available from each database on request.