The use of data recorded in general practice electronic health records for longitudinal medical research

There are abundant clinical data recorded in general practice electronic health records (EHR) which are suitable for longitudinal analysis to inform clinical care. This thesis proposes a novel research approach which has potential to deliver clinically relevant outcomes using real-world data and at the same time provide individual general practices with important feedback. This thesis includes a literature review which demonstrates the utility of longitudinal research, specifically survival analysis using primary care EHR data. The growing trend of this approach reflects its usefulness in general practice research.