BC Platforms and UK-based University of Nottingham continue collaboration on data-sharing and research

BC Platforms, the University of Nottingham (UoN) and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) are continuing their collaboration to enhance secure data sharing, support research, and improve healthcare outcomes using advanced tools like trusted research environments (TREs).

BC Platforms, a global provider of healthcare data management and analytics solutions, has announced an extended partnership with UoN and NUH. The collaboration aims to enhance data-sharing capabilities, strengthen research infrastructure, and support improved healthcare outcomes through the implementation of advanced tools, including TREs.

This partnership builds on a relationship established in 2017, during which BC Platforms and UoN have worked together to improve the accessibility and usability of healthcare data for research. The collaboration has focused on addressing challenges in data management and supporting research initiatives that inform patient care and drug development.

A central component of the initiative is the use of TREs—secure computing environments that allow researchers to analyze sensitive patient data while maintaining confidentiality. Professor Philip Quinlan, Director of Health Informatics at UoN and Head of the Informatics Theme at the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), noted the importance of these platforms. “Now, for the first time, we have the same platform between NUH and UoN to support researchers with analyzing their data in appropriately secured environments,” he explained, “helping to support our ambitions to connect and participate in international programs, while also maintaining critical data security and confidentiality.”

The partnership seeks to integrate data from clinical and basic research to generate insights into key health challenges such as cancer and diabetes. Enhanced data-sharing capabilities aim to support research with local and global implications. Dr Sube Banerjee, Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Medicine and Health Sciences, emphasized the initiative’s role in addressing healthcare challenges, stating,

“Data can be transformative to patients, and this partnership is a clear example of Nottingham’s leadership in the field.”

The collaboration also builds on the achievements of the CO-CONNECT project, a nationally recognized initiative that developed tools for rapid data sharing using open-source software. Both UoN and NUH are connected through the NIHR Nottingham BRC, which supports innovative research with a global perspective.

Nino da Silva, Global Lead for Healthcare & Technology at BC Platforms, highlighted the potential benefits of this continued collaboration. “At BC Platforms, we are focused on advancing patient health by accelerating the global access and use of high-quality, real-world data. Our long-standing collaboration with Nottingham is evidence of this focus and our efforts to support research that contributes to improving healthcare outcomes,” he said.

By integrating TREs and other advanced tools, the renewed partnership provides a framework for secure data sharing while addressing global healthcare challenges. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to protecting sensitive data, enabling research, and fostering innovation that benefits patients.

You may be interested in...

Catch up on this recent Peek Behind the Poster interview with Alex Ide (EVP, Global Lead Life Science, BC Platforms) to learn more about the secure data enviornments. Based on the poster, entitled “A Global Data and Secured Data Environment Technology Framework to Support Healthcare Decision-Making with Real-World Data,” which was recently presented at ISPOR Europe 2024.