HRH The Princess Royal opens the Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research
Published On Thu 15 Jan 2015 by Roddy Isles
HRH The Princess Royal today (January 15th) formally opened the Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research at the University of Dundee.
The Farr Institute is a state-of-the-art facility for research based on health-related data. The University of Dundee has been a pioneer in this approach, and enjoys an international reputation for health informatics research.
Use of health related data, routinely collected by the NHS, and associated collections of biological samples, provides a very powerful tool for medical research that allows important advances in health care to be made. To support this type of research a secure environment for data collection, cleaning, and curation is essential, in order that the public can be assured that key personal information is safe, and cannot be exploited inappropriately
The University of Dundee facilitated the development of the Farr Institute, a UK-wide collaboration that has been supported by the Medical Research Council and other funders to provide a linked network of ‘safe havens’ to allow appropriate use of health information and related data to be developed.
“We are delighted that HRH the Princess Royal has joined us today to open the Farr Institute and also to recognise the tremendous work done by Tenovus as a charity supporting valuable medical research across Scotland,” said Professor John Connell, Vice-Principal for Research at the University and Head of the College of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing.
“The University has been a pioneer in the use of electronic health records to support medical research in the UK, working closely with NHS Tayside and Tenovus. It is a partnership that I think could only have happened here and has produced remarkable results. An initial grant from Tenovus of a few thousand pounds over 20 years ago has grown into this facility we see in Dundee today and a £30million eHealth network across the UK.”
Tenovus Tayside has supported research that uses carefully collected clinical data for a number of years, and sponsored projects have made important advances in the care of patients with Diabetes, Respiratory Diseases and Cardiovascular Disease.
Roddy Isles
Head of Press
TEL: 01382 384910
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E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk