My name is Naomi, and I am a research fellow in the Division of Psychiatry at University College London (UCL). I am interested in how we can use routine data, like Electronic Health Records, to answer questions that have real impact on public health. My research focuses on how having a mental health condition can affect how people are diagnosed and treated for their physical health and how this impacts long-term health outcomes.
DATAMIND brings together mental health researchers to share knowledge and provide resources to support better mental health research. For researchers like me, who use Electronic Health Records, the opportunity to discuss and learn about the complexities of using these data sources for people with mental health conditions is invaluable, opening doors to more robust and innovative research.
Being part of DATAMIND over the past two years has been a great experience. As an Early Career Researcher, building a network of researchers using Electronic Health Records has been incredibly valuable; allowing me to learn from more senior researchers and kick-start collaborations. One of the major strengths of DATAMIND is how well embedded their patient and public representatives are as part of the DATAMIND Lived Experience Advisory Group. Getting their insights into complex issues, such as why some people with mental health conditions may not take up screening programmes, has guided and shaped our work.
Working with DATAMIND and the Road Builder 3 Programme, we produced a report on the feasibility of using routine data for investigating the physical health of people with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: https://datamind.org.uk/data/harmonised-data/smi-cohorts/. People with severe mental illness have poorer physical health than the general population, with worse outcomes from diseases like diabetes and heart disease. It is therefore really important to understand where we can improve the care that they receive for their physical health. Our report highlights key strengths and limitations of using these data for mental and physical health research. For example, we document the diverse data available across the UK, both a strength and weakness of electronic health records. We also document different definitions of “severe mental illness” used across the four nations of the UK, and investigate screening practices for cardiovascular risk factors. Understanding which patients are likely to have missing data for key variables such as their BMI is crucial to ensure our research is properly conducted. In this report we stress the need for harmonisation, standardisation and sharing of data resources to advance research.
We also investigated cardiovascular risk factor screening in people with severe mental illness more detail, focusing on how screening for blood pressure, BMI, blood glucose, cholesterol, alcohol consumption and smoking status varies by patient characteristics. We found that the proportion of people with severe mental illness receiving regular screening for all these factors is low and have called for this screening to be fully embedded as part of a broad physical health check to ensure the physical health needs of people with severe mental illness are being met. We found that men, younger patients, and those with a diagnosis of “other psychoses” were less likely to receive screening, and therefore might need further support to access screening services or targeted intervention to improve uptake.
A major highlight of my time with DATAMIND has been building a network of researchers across the UK who use Electronic Health Records. I have also had the opportunity to use a variety of data sources through DATAMIND collaborations, and build expertise in how Electronic Health Records are used across the UK. At the beginning of 2024, I was able to use this network and experience to build a case for a personal fellowship with HDR UK’s Big Data for Complex Disease (BCDC) driver programme: https://www.hdruk.ac.uk/people/naomi-launders/. My fellowship builds on my work with DATAMIND, investigating cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer in people with severe mental illness. I plan to continue working with DATAMIND, drawing on its expertise to complement the cancer and CVD expertise provided by the BCDC driver programme. I hope that fellowship will provide evidence to inform strategies aimed at improving the physical health of people with severe mental illness.
Working with DATAMIND has been invaluable. The insights I’ve gained from fellow researchers and members of the public have steered the direction of my research. The opportunities and learning it has provided have been instrumental in securing my fellowship and developing the next stage of my research. I encourage everyone involved in mental health research in the UK to begin a conversation with DATAMIND about how its resources can complement their own work. I very much look forward to continuing our collaboration and benefiting further from the expertise and experience within DATAMIND.
For more information on my work or DATAMIND, visit https://datamind.org.uk/data/harmonised-data/smi-cohorts/ or email datamind@swansea.ac.uk.
