The Health Improvement Network (THIN)

The Health Improvement Network (THIN) is a data collection service that helps Vision users to improve their data quality through analysis of anonymised data.

The THIN database of anonymous patient information is also used worldwide by researchers for medical studies in drug safety, epidemiology and health outcomes. The scheme has been approved by a Department of Health Multicentre Research Ethics Committee.

Join THIN today (Click here for online form)

THIN would like to invite your practice to join The Health Improvement Network (THIN) scheme which has established a new research database using anonymised computerised data collected from primary care. THIN is a collaboration between INPS, your computer system supplier, and Cegedim Strategic Data Medical Research UK, an internationally recognised research organisation.

THIN will collect patient data from your practice in an anonymised format (with the identities of patients removed). Your practice’s records will then be compiled with data from other practices into a database (your practice will not be identifiable to researchers). THIN supplies these data to approved researchers for use in drug safety, prescribing and epidemiological studies. Such research and the THIN scheme itself have been approved by a NHS Multicentre Research Ethics Committee (a bibliography of THIN publications can be provided on request).

THIN has now developed technology which also allows us to anonymously collect post-code linked indicators including environmental, ethnicity and rurality indicators. Patients’ postcodes however, are not collected but matched on-site at your practice to the indicators.

The potential benefits for practices in contributing anonymised data to THIN include:

  • Regular feedback on the quality and completeness of your practice’s data recording, particularly targeted to the Contract and National Service Framework requirements, and benchmarked against other THIN practices
  • Free regional seminars on the effective use of Vision for GPs, Practice Managers and other members of the team (over 97% of the delegates have rated the THIN seminars as “Excellent” or “Good”)
  • Free INPS in-house training (up to 2 days depending on practice size) which may be exchanged for an INPS Engineering Health-Check or 6p per patient per year
  • A share of any profits earned from research projects using THIN data paid as an annual bonus  

Click here for a list of frequently asked questions on the THIN scheme.

Click here for member’s comments on the THIN scheme.

Over 400 practices have already joined THIN. If you think this may be an attractive proposition, then please click here to fill in the online form.

For further details please visit - www.thin-uk.com or contact;

Michelle Page
Operations Manager
T: 020 7554 0663
E: michelle.page@thin-uk.com