AIMS
This project aims to describe the DECOVID dataset and explain what information it contains for approved researchers. The study will update and publish a detailed description of the final version of the dataset, helping researchers understand what information is available and how it can be used to support future health research.
BACKGROUND
During the COVID-19 pandemic, large amounts of information were collected from patients receiving care in hospitals across the United Kingdom. The DECOVID project brought together electronic health records from two large NHS organisations, University Hospitals Birmingham and University College London Hospitals, creating a large and detailed dataset to support research during the pandemic.
The DECOVID partnership was established in 2020 to help researchers better understand COVID-19 and improve patient care during a rapidly evolving public health emergency. The dataset contains information from adults who attended hospital between January 2020 and February 2021, providing a valuable record of how patients were affected by COVID-19 and how healthcare services responded during the pandemic.
The dataset has now been incorporated into PIONEER, the Health Data Research Hub for acute care. This enables approved researchers outside the original DECOVID collaboration to apply for access through PIONEER’s established governance and approval processes.
RESEARCH
This project is not investigating a specific clinical question. Instead, it aims to produce a comprehensive description of the DECOVID dataset so that researchers can better understand the information available for future studies.
Researchers will analyse and summarise the contents of the dataset, including:
- Patient demographics and underlying health conditions.
- Emergency department attendances and hospital admissions.
- Clinical observations such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and oxygen levels.
- Laboratory test results and microbiology findings.
- Treatments provided, including medicines, respiratory support, and other interventions.
- Patient outcomes.
By publishing a detailed description of the dataset, the project will help researchers identify opportunities for future studies and maximise the value of this important COVID-19 research resource.
PATIENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
Patients and members of the public were involved in the original DECOVID programme through patient and public involvement groups and the Data Trust Committee. Their contributions helped shape the development of the dataset, its governance arrangements, and the wider research priorities of the DECOVID programme.
As this project is focused on describing and publishing an existing dataset, no additional patient involvement activities are currently planned. However, the work builds upon the patient and public contributions that helped establish and guide the original programme.
APPROVAL
This project was supported unanimously by the PIONEER Data Trust Committee.
PROJECT LEAD
Dr Robert Goudie, Group Leader and Medical Research Council Investigator
MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge
