Cardiologist is putting data at the heart of HHS research
Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) cardiologist Dr. Darryl Leong has taken on an additional role at the hospital, as associate chief medical information officer for research.
This position, created by the hospital’s research department, is new to HHS and focuses on exploring and implementing ways to use the hospital’s state-of-the-art Epic hospital information system to advance HHS research.
“The future of research lies in digital information and large data, and with this position we are entering this new era.” — Dr. Marc Jeschke, HHS vice president of research and chief scientific officer.
“I love data — understanding it and using it,” says Leong, adding, “That’s why this role really appealed to me.”
Epic is considered to be among the best hospital information systems in the world and is used internationally by many top-ranked health care organizations. It was launched at HHS in 2022, replacing dozens of electronic and paper systems, so that every patient’s confidential medical information is available in one secure place, electronically.
Epic’s first two years
With Epic, patients’ hospital visits became easier. They no longer needed to repeat their health history every time they met with an HHS doctor or other member of their health-care team. That’s because with Epic, patient information is documented directly into the hospital information system and constantly updated with every appointment, test and procedure. Patients can also access test results and more through Epic’s MyChart, a free, secure, online tool that provides easy access to their hospital health record.
Dr. Darryl Leong’s new role focuses on exploring and implementing ways to use the hospital’s state-of-the-art Epic hospital information system to advance HHS research.
Clinicians also welcomed Epic for its many efficiencies. For example, there was no more chasing down patient information from multiple paper and electronic storage areas, and other departments also caring for their patients. With Epic, clinicians such as doctors, nurses, social workers, physiotherapists and others providing direct patient care have instant access to complete patient records.
Supporting leading-edge research
Hamilton Health Sciences is a top 10 research hospital in Canada, and clinician-researchers saw enormous potential to use Epic data in their studies aimed at discovering new treatments and cures that could benefit patients in Hamilton and around the world.
“Our goal is the harness the power of machine learning for health purposes,” says Leong.
Exploring Epic’s potential
Epic has, as one of its core facilities, the ability to enable research. Even before Epic’s launch two years ago, the hospital’s chief medical information officer – whose role includes acting as a liaison between HHS physicians and the health information technology service managing Epic — was receiving requests to use the system for research purposes.
“Using Epic data for research is a logical next step to supporting research excellence in Hamilton.” — Dr. Darryl Leong.
“Understandably, the initial emphasis with Epic was on clinical and patient care,” says Leong. “But there was also widespread awareness of Epic’s potential beyond this, including from our researchers.”
Those inquiries inspired the establishment of Leong’s role.
Dr. Marc Jeschke, HHS vice president of research and chief scientific officer
“The future of research lies in digital information and large data, and with this position we are entering this new era,” says Dr. Marc Jeschke, HHS vice president of research and chief scientific officer.
“Dr. Leong’s role will allow researchers across HHS to access Epic features that can enable excellent research. It’s a significant step forward in how we use Epic.”
Other North American hospitals, where Epic has been in place longer, are already adept at using Epic for research. Leong’s work includes connecting with these organizations to learn from them, so he can create efficient and user-friendly pathways for HHS researchers to access data.
Hamilton as a world leader in research
Leong is also a researcher with the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI), a joint institute of HHS and McMaster University.
The PHRI is a world leader in large clinical trials, population health studies and epidemiology – the study of how, when and why diseases occur and who’s at the greatest risk. It conducts research in over 100 countries on six continents, with 1.5 million people involved in up to 100 studies. The PHRI’s researchers have transformed health care nationally and globally, benefitting tens of millions of people.
“Using Epic data for research is a logical next step to supporting research excellence in Hamilton,” says Leong. “There has always been this awareness within HHS that the Epic system has enormous research potential, and that’s being crystalized in this new role.”
