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Educational resources
Discover our education sessions and blogs.
Education sessions
Recordings of all our Education Sessions are freely available to watch again but only Members may take part in the live sessions and Q&As
One of the benefits of being a use MY data Member is being able to take part in and suggest topics for our popular online Education Sessions, hosted by our Data Adviser, Chris Carrigan. Sessions run throughout the year and are a chance for Members to hear from and question directly experts on a wide range of patient data-related subjects.
Introduction to the Data Use and Access Act 2025
Presented by Cassie Smith and Edel McNamara of Health Data Research UK (HDR UK).
The new Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 contains wide-ranging provisions, and some important changes to the UK’s data protection and privacy legislation.
The new Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 contains wide-ranging provisions, and some important changes to the UK’s data protection and privacy legislation.
Health Data & Research: What you need to know
What happens to your health data when it’s used in research. How is it shared and protected, and how, ultimately, does it help to improve patient care?
How a commercial research company uses anonymised data for public benefit
Oxford-based company Arcturis Data access and analyse anonymised NHS patient data to provide real-world evidence and insights to pharmaceutical companies to aid drug discovery, development and adoption.
What is Open Source, and why is it important?
The term “open source” is increasingly used in conversations about data analysis. In this session our Data Adviser, Chris Carrigan, explains the principles of open source, why it is important for the NHS and for patients, and provides some real-life examples of the use of open source principles.
Artificial Intelligence and Patient Data: What's the reality?
There has been huge interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI), in particular how to maximize the benefits of AI for healthcare, while minimizing its risks and avoiding its pitfalls. But aside from theory, guidelines and principles, what practical progress has been made in the use of AI to improve patient care and outcomes? And whilst we may have seen AI being increasingly used to automate the reading of digital medical images, how has AI been used with other patient data?
HDR UK Big Data For Complex Disease Driver Programme
Chris Carrigan discusses the use of big data in the treatment of complex diseases with Dr Alexis Webb Senior Programme Manager HDR UK and Amy Hodgkinson PPIE Manager HDR UK.
The Big Data for Complex Disease Driver Programme is one of five UK-wide programmes at the centre of Health Data Research UK’s new strategy, “to harness the power of large-scale data to tackle some of the largest health challenges and build a strong foundation for future research”. The Programme “will harness whole population, national linked health data to improve the understanding, prevention and early diagnosis of cancer, cardiovascular conditions and other complex diseases”.
The Big Data for Complex Disease Driver Programme is one of five UK-wide programmes at the centre of Health Data Research UK’s new strategy, “to harness the power of large-scale data to tackle some of the largest health challenges and build a strong foundation for future research”. The Programme “will harness whole population, national linked health data to improve the understanding, prevention and early diagnosis of cancer, cardiovascular conditions and other complex diseases”.
A summary of patient data developments in 2024
Chris Carrigan brings you a summary of developments in the world of patient data in 2024, including the recently published Sudlow Review, together with a look at what may lie ahead in 2025
Public Webinar Does the NHS Sell My Data
This webinar from September 2022 asked, 'Does the NHS sell my data?' We looked at the reality behind the NHS ‘selling’ our data, exploring and explaining “cost-recovery” models, considering how the NHS might best exploit our data as an asset to add value to our care and to research.
The webinar included speakers from across the UK to bring a range of perspectives and real-life examples, looking at those “selling” and those “buying” with bodies responsible for collecting and storing our data.
The webinar included speakers from across the UK to bring a range of perspectives and real-life examples, looking at those “selling” and those “buying” with bodies responsible for collecting and storing our data.
Take it on trust: data environments explained
Confused about secure data environments, trusted research environments, federated data, safe havens and honest brokers? If so, this education session is for you! use MY data's Chris Carrigan unpicks the terminology to explain what these entities are, what they do and don’t do and how they differ from each other.
Impact of the 2024 General Election on Patient Data
We have a new government, but what might this mean for patient data?
Chris Carrigan runs through the potential impact of the 2024 general election and what we know about the new government's priorities relating to patient data.
Chris Carrigan runs through the potential impact of the 2024 general election and what we know about the new government's priorities relating to patient data.
Introduction to genomics and its impact on healthcare, part 2
The second of two Education Sessions run for us by Genomics England addressing the transformative potential of genomics in healthcare.
The Potential for use of Patients' Physiotherapy Data
Euan McComiskie, the Health Informatics Lead at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy explains what is possible using this very different type of data, and what are the barriers.
Introduction to genomics and its impact on healthcare, part 1
An introduction to Genomics England, the basics of genomics, and its transformative potential in healthcare. How Genomics England's work contributes to patient care and how the data provided by patients for their care can fuel research.
What does my health data look like?
How does your health data get created, where is it held and what does it look like.
Where does your data go once it has been collected as part of your care.
Where does your data go once it has been collected as part of your care.
Data to measure Inequality
What patient data exists to measure inequality? Where is data - including ethnicity data - recorded (and where it isn’t), where has it been used to measure inequality in areas of health, and how you can see some of these results.
What's in the 2022 NHS England Data Strategy?
On 13 June 2022 the Department of Health & Social care in England published a new Data Strategy; “Data saves lives: reshaping health and social care with data”. The Strategy set out "ambitious plans to harness the potential of data in health and care in England, while maintaining the highest standards of privacy and ethics.”
Why the delay in researchers using my data?
Why does it take so long for a researcher to get access to data to start their research? A researcher's perspective with Professor Richard Feltbower, University of Leeds.
The Goldacre Review
The Goldacre Review: Better, Broader, Safer: Using Health Data for Research and Analysis – why is it so important, what are the findings and will it make a difference?
Anonymised, pseudonymised, anonymous – what do these terms mean for patient data
What's the difference between anonymised, pseudonymised and anonymous data and what are the benefits and difficulties of using these types of data? Different terms are often used to describe patient data which cannot be directly identified. As well as being confusing, these terms are often misused. This video covers frequently used terms and what they mean.
Speak with the Analyst
Dr Christine Delon from Cancer Research UK describes how she is using patient data in the England Cancer Registry to analyse cancer incidence by ethnicity , including how this work can help understand and address inequality.
Personal Health Records
Have you ever heard the term Personal Health Record, and wondered what it is, who uses them, and if it the same as an Electronic Health Record?
Synthetic Data
In a world where there is often significant risk-aversion to the sharing of patient data, there has been increasing interest in the topic of synthetic data (sometimes called simulated data) to make research possible in a safe, secure way.
Environmental, Education and Health data
Pia Hardelid of Population, Policy, and Practice Research and Teaching Department, University College London Great Ormond Street introduces The Kids Environment and Health Cohort. This is a national data resource for research into how the local environment affects children’s health as they grow up in England.
How can these different types of data can be linked, and what are the difficulties, practicalities, opportunities and benefits.
How can these different types of data can be linked, and what are the difficulties, practicalities, opportunities and benefits.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning – an introduction
A brief introduction to AI, including terminology, big data, machine learning, risks, safeguards, unknowns. With questions from the delegates. Presented by Chris Carrigan, @useMYdata's Expert Data Adviser
Statistical terms used in healthcare
Chris Carrigan of @useMYdata gives a brief introduction to the common statistical terms and methods used when presenting data about health care. How, where and why they are used, and what they mean. Count, quintiles, confidence limits, and other frequently-used terms explained.
Blogs
Insights from our Members and supporters
LifeArc
Making patient data life changing: how LifeArc uses data to accelerate impact for people with rare diseases
EoE SDE
From Privacy to Progress: The Power of Secure Data in Health Research In the age of digital health, data can save lives, but only when it's handled with care. That’s where Secure Data Environments (SDEs) come in.
Arcturis
Valuing patients and their data, the NHS and the life sciences industry: How and why Arcturis conducts health research.
Flatiron
Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) must lead the way in data partnerships: Flatiron Health UK’s Why, What and How
HDR UK
Championing Patient Voices: HDR UK Backs the UK's First National Patient Data Conference Public involvement is central to our work and guided by best practice, including the Public Engagement in Data Research Initiative’s (PEDRI) Good Practice Standards. These principles help data scientists across all sectors engage meaningfully with the public. In this blog, we’ll use PEDRI’s seven Standards to give you a quick look at how the public shapes our work at HDR UK.
Biobank
Why adding GP data to UK Biobank will be transformational for research Professor Martin Rutter is Deputy Chief Scientist at UK Biobank. Here, Martin sets out why adding de-identified primary care data to UK Biobank’s database will transform the research potential overnight.
PEDRI
Putting People First in Data Science: PEDRI’s Mission to Make Public Engagement the Norm At the core of great data science lies one powerful idea: work with the public, not just for them. That’s the driving force behind the Public Engagement in Data Research Initiative (PEDRI) and we’re thrilled to be bringing that vision to life at the inaugural use MY data National Patient Data Day Conference.
ABPI
Why the pharmaceutical industry needs NHS data to develop new medicines? To a greater or lesser degree, most countries charge their citizens to access health care. This means researchers can only study health outcomes in these countries, using data from those people who can afford to pay for care.
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