Data integration and health innovation

South Yorkshire is facing significant health challenges, including lower-than-average life expectancy and a high prevalence of chronic conditions. Organisations like Data Connect and the South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub are taking an innovative approach to address these challenges. By linking health data from multiple sources, these programs enable personalised healthcare solutions tailored to the specific needs of South Yorkshire’s population, ultimately improving patient outcomes and enhancing regional healthcare.

Why South Yorkshire Needs Health Innovation

South Yorkshire's health outcomes are below the UK average. Tackling issues like chronic illness and health inequalities is crucial for improving life expectancy and the overall well-being of the population.

Life Expectancy in South Yorkshire

Life expectancy in South Yorkshire is lower than the national average. On average, men in the region live to 77.3 years (compared to the UK average of 78.6 years), while women live to 80.9 years (below the national average of 82.6 years) (5). The leading causes of death - heart disease, dementia, lung cancer, stroke, and chronic respiratory diseases - underscore the urgent need for healthcare innovation to address these conditions (2).

Prevalence of Chronic Conditions

South Yorkshire sees a higher incidence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and lung conditions compared to other parts of the UK. Hospital admissions for heart disease and stroke are significantly higher in this region; for instance, admissions for heart failure rose from 6,900 in 2013/14 to 8,900 in 2018/19 (6). Furthermore, age-standardised death rates for heart and circulatory diseases are 10% higher in the Yorkshire and Humber region than the national average(1,3).

Diseases and health conditions commonly found in areas of deprivation include chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); mental health disorders like depression; metabolic conditions such as obesity and diabetes; respiratory conditions like asthma; and cancer, where prevalence rates exceed 10–15%. These conditions are influenced by various health inequality factors, including limited access to healthy food, income disparities, unequal access to and experiences with health services, gender, ethnicity, disability, employment, living environment, and education. These health issues are particularly prevalent in the South Yorkshire and the UK (8,9).

The top 10 health conditions in the South Yorkshire region, based on average prevalence, are as follows: High blood pressure (hypertension) (13.89%), Depression (13.78%), Obesity (12.10%), Diabetes (7.52%), Asthma (7.14%), Non-diabetic hyperglycaemia (4.86%), Chronic kidney disease (3.92%), Coronary heart disease (3.13%), Cancer diagnosis since 2003 (3.10%), and COPD (2.27%)(7).

These health challenges call for innovative solutions, and Data Connect with the South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub are at the heart of providing such solutions through data integration.

Health Inequality: how data integration can bridge the gap

Data Connect is leading the way in tackling health inequalities by integrating health data from various sources, including wearable devices like Fitbits. This allows healthcare providers to monitor real-time health metrics, offering personalised healthcare interventions before problems escalate. This proactive approach helps reduce hospital admissions and improve patient outcomes, particularly in deprived areas where health inequalities are most pronounced.

Health Inequalities and Personalised Healthcare

South Yorkshire has some of the most deprived areas in the UK, where people experience a higher rate of chronic illness and shorter life expectancy. In these communities, limited access to healthcare exacerbates health disparities. By integrating wearable data with NHS records, South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub provides a holistic view of each patient’s health, allowing healthcare professionals to tailor interventions and make data-driven decisions that meet individual healthcare needs. This approach helps maintain wellness, slow or halt disease progression, and tackle wider determinants of health, with the aim of intervening early to prevent future health problems or disease development.

This use of data integration not only helps reduce health inequalities but also drives cost savings for the NHS by preventing avoidable hospital admissions.

Reducing Healthcare Pressures

As South Yorkshire's population ages, the demand for healthcare services is rising, putting enormous pressure on the NHS. Data Connect eases this burden by securely linking health data for researchers, healthcare providers, and academics, allowing them to analyse trends and make data-driven decisions.

By integrating real-time health data from devices like wearable fitness trackers, healthcare providers can monitor patient activity levels and step in with preventive care before issues escalate. This results in fewer hospital admissions, better health outcomes, and a reduction in NHS resource strain.

The Role of Collaboration: The South Yorkshire Integrated Care System

Collaboration is key to improving healthcare in South Yorkshire. The South Yorkshire Integrated Care System (ICS), which includes 170 GP practices, nine NHS trusts, and four local authorities, works closely with Data Connect to evaluate services and improve healthcare delivery across the region (4).

By integrating data from multiple sources, Data Connect helps the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and ICS deliver coordinated and effective care, ensuring that health services are optimised for better outcomes across the region.

Shaping the Future of Healthcare in South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire is emerging as a leader in digital health innovation, thanks to initiatives like Data Connect and the South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub, and South Yorkshire’s complex health challenges, from life expectancy to the mounting strain on NHS resources, could be addressed through data integration. 

By combining wearable technology and healthcare data such as NHS records, programs such as Data Connect and the South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub are transforming how healthcare is delivered, offering personalised, data-driven solutions that improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare inequalities in the region. As these programs grow and evolve, they have the potential to serve as a model for how data integration can drive improvements in healthcare on a regional, national, and global scale.

Resources

1. Li, Y., Lyu, Y., Zhou, Y., & Wang, H. (2016). The impact of chronic diseases on health-related quality of life in the elderly in China. BMC Public Health, 16, 789. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3335-z
2. BBC News. (2023, September 14). Life expectancy in South Yorkshire lower than national average. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-66580679
3. British Heart Foundation. (2018, September 27). Yorkshire residents more likely to die from heart and circulatory diseases than any other region. https://www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2018/september/yorkshire-residents-more-likely-to-die-from-heart-and-circulatory-diseases-than-any-other-region
4. NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board. (n.d.). Who we are and what we do: Place map. https://southyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk/about-us/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/place-map
5. Office for National Statistics. (2023, September 21). National life tables: United Kingdom, 2020 to 2022. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/lifeexpectancies/bulletins/nationallifetablesunitedkingdom/2020to2022
6. University of Leeds. (2019, November 4). Yorkshire and Humber heart failure hospital admissions rise by almost a third in five years. https://medicinehealth.leeds.ac.uk/faculty-/news/article/348/yorkshire-and-humber-heart-failure-hospital-admissions-rise-by-almost-a-third-in-five-years
7. House of Commons Library. (22 January, 2019). Health inequalities: Income deprivation and north-south divides. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/health-inequalities-income-deprivation-and-north-south-divides/
8. House of Commons Library. (2019). Health inequalities: Income deprivation and north-south divides. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/health-inequalities-income-deprivation-and-north-south-divides/
9. The King's Fund. (2024). Health inequalities in a nutshell: The deprivation gap. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/data-and-charts/health-inequalities-nutshell#the-deprivation-gap