[clug] github & docker enable a first: secure access to population level health records

[steve jenkin]

Seems an outstanding success of Open Source & the linux stack in particular.

While the site ‘github’ might be owned by Microsoft now,
the open publication & sharing of source code isn’t effected.

This project, implemented quickly during Covid, seems to be a revolution
in processing large-scale health records.

Processing is solely done within a docker image within the agency,
no real or derived patient data is ever released.

Code submissions only come via ‘github’ and all output
has two independent reviewers before it can be released.

Generated, random test datasets are provided for development.

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Security guaranteed as UK health records used for research
	28 October 2023
	16 min
	[ transcript available ]
	<https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/scienceshow/security-guaranteed-as-uk-health-records-used-for-research/103032362>

	The health data of 58 million UK citizens is a gold mine for medical researchers.
	It allows study of the cause of disease, the effectiveness of treatment, safety, the uptake of treatment,
	 spread of innovation, inequality of access, of services, 
	and whether some hospitals or surgeons do better or worse than others. 

	But individual records are private. Ben Goldacre describes a new system in the UK, 
		OpenSAFELY 
	which guarantees the use of health records without identifying who the records belong to.

===============

Secure analytics platform forNHS electronic health records
	OpenSAFELY delivers research across over 58 million people's health records, always respecting patient confidentiality
	<https://www.opensafely.org/>

	Protecting privacy
	We never let researchers download patient data, 
		and OpenSAFELY tools let users to write code to analyse patient data without even needing to view the raw records.

	Better, open science
	OpenSAFELY requires publication of all analytic code, 
		and our tools drive all users to produce prespecified, reusable, testable, shareable and modular software for research.

	Auditable by the public
	It is a privilege to use patient data for the public good. 
	OpenSAFELY respects patients by carefully considering this in every part of its design.

	Enabling high volumes of research
	Over 22 published research outputs to date, with many more in progress.

===============

--
Steve Jenkin, IT Systems and Design 
0412 786 915 (+61 412 786 915)
PO Box 38, Kippax ACT 2615, AUSTRALIA

mailto:sjenkin at canb.auug.org.au http://members.tip.net.au/~sjenkin