Researchers and clinicians

The Trust uses software that takes electronic clinical records and automatically feeds them into CRIS. The “inputs" include structured data, such as tabulated Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores, and free-text data, such as progress notes and letters. As the data are sent to CRIS, they are rendered anonymous, using a linked-anonymised (pseudonymised) method.

All records in CRIS are identified only by a research ID number. There are no names, exact dates of birth, hospital numbers, or NHS numbers. CRIS retains details of sex, age (month and year of birth), diagnoses, medication, and so on, including searchable free text.

Approved researchers can use CRIS for epidemiological and service evaluation studies. They simply search it, analyse the data, and publish (the database has generic ethical approval for studies of this type, a separate ethical opinion is not required). For example, a putative association between two diseases might be examined in this way. 

Please note that service users are not currently routinely being asked to express a consent mode and CRIS is currently in use primarily for epidemiological and service evaluation research only. 

Publications

  • Aworinde, J., N. Werbeloff, G. Lewis, G. Livingston, and A. Sommerlad. "Dementia Severity at Death: A Register-Based Cohort Study." [In eng]. BMC Psychiatry 18, no. 1 (Nov 1 2018): 355. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1930-5.

  • Cripps, R. L., J. F. Hayes, A. L. Pitman, D. P. J. Osborn, and N. Werbeloff. "Characteristics and Risk of Repeat Suicidal Ideation and Self-Harm in Patients Who Present to Emergency Departments with Suicidal Ideation or Self-Harm: A Prospective Cohort Study." [In eng]. J Affect Disord 273 (Aug 1 2020): 358-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.03.130.

  • Dalton-Locke C, Thygesen JH, Werbeloff N, Osborn D, Killaspy H. Using de-identified electronic health records to research mental health supported housing services: A feasibility study. PLoS One. 2020 Aug 20;15(8):e0237664. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237664.

  • Dove, J., A. Mistry, N. Werbeloff, D. Osborn, and N. Turjanski. "Weekday and Seasonal Patterns in Psychiatric Referrals in Three Major London a&E Departments, 2012-2014." [In eng]. BJPsych Bull 42, no. 1 (Feb 2018): 5-9. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjb.2017.4.

  • Fusar-Poli, P., N. Werbeloff, G. Rutigliano, D. Oliver, C. Davies, D. Stahl, P. McGuire, and D. Osborn. "Transdiagnostic Risk Calculator for the Automatic Detection of Individuals at Risk and the Prediction of Psychosis: Second Replication in an Independent National Health Service Trust." [In eng]. Schizophr Bull 45, no. 3 (Apr 25 2019): 562-70. https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sby070.

  • Lewis, G., N. Werbeloff, J. F. Hayes, R. Howard, and D. P. J. Osborn. "Diagnosed Depression and Sociodemographic Factors as Predictors of Mortality in Patients with Dementia." [In eng]. Br J Psychiatry 213, no. 2 (Aug 2018): 471-76. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2018.86.

  • Mukadam, N., G. Lewis, C. Mueller, N. Werbeloff, R. Stewart, and G. Livingston. "Ethnic Differences in Cognition and Age in People Diagnosed with Dementia: A Study of Electronic Health Records in Two Large Mental Healthcare Providers." [In eng]. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 34, no. 3 (Mar 2019): 504-10. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.5046.

  • Oram, S., C. Colling, M. Pritchard, M. Khondoker, D. Fonseca de Freitas, L. Ter-Minassian, J. Downs, et al. "Patterns of Use of the Mental Health Act 1983, from 2007-2008 to 2016-2017, in Two Major London Secondary Mental Healthcare Providers." [In eng]. BJPsych Open 5, no. 6 (Nov 27 2019): e102. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2019.84.

  • Werbeloff, N., C. K. Chang, M. Broadbent, J. F. Hayes, R. Stewart, and D. P. J. Osborn. "Admission to Acute Mental Health Services after Contact with Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams: An Investigation in Two Large Mental Health-Care Providers." [In eng]. Lancet Psychiatry 4, no. 1 (Jan 2017): 49-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(16)30416-3.

  • Werbeloff N, Hilge Thygesen J, Hayes JF, Viding EM, Johnson S, Osborn DPJ. Childhood sexual abuse in patients with severe mental Illness: Demographic, clinical and functional correlates. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2021 Jun;143(6):495-502. doi: 10.1111/acps.13302. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

  • Werbeloff, N., M. Markou, J. F. Hayes, A. L. Pitman, and D. P. Osborn. "Individual and Area-Level Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation and Attempt in People with Severe Depression." [In eng]. J Affect Disord 205 (Nov 15 2016): 387-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.08.015.

  • Werbeloff, N., D. P. J. Osborn, R. Patel, M. Taylor, R. Stewart, M. Broadbent, and J. F. Hayes. "The Camden & Islington Research Database: Using Electronic Mental Health Records for Research." [In eng]. PLoS One 13, no. 1 (2018): e0190703. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0190703.

  • Yang, J.C., J.H. Thygesen, N. Werbeloff, J.F. Hayes, and D.P.J. Osborn. “Antipsychotic polypharmacy and adverse drug reactions among adults in a London mental health service, 2008–2018.” Psych Med (2022): 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722000952.

Access to CRIS

If you would like further information about using the Research Database for a project, please contact the Research Database Manager by emailing nlft.researchdatabase@nhs.net

If you would like to submit an application for permission to use the Research Database for a research project, please download the Research Database Project Application Form. 

For the costs of accessing and using the Research Database into any funding applications, please contact the Research Database Manager by emailing nlft.researchdatabase@nhs.net

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