Recently, a research center in Israel has announced its plan to use digital records and big data to develop new drugs and treatments for autoimmune diseases. Tel Aviv University has opened Israel's first multidisciplinary center to research autoimmune diseases and hopes to use the country's centralized digital health system to generate data for a large number of patients.
While there have been extensive attempts to study autoimmune diseases, research has been fragmented by a number of factors, including different specialties that tend to generate and focus on their own research. Many of us with systemic symptoms know how difficult it is to manage our conditions with multiple specialists, and how limiting a study that focuses on only one set of symptoms can be. The new center aims to use big data to guide research, and include physicians/scientists from different specialties like gastroenterology, rheumatology, and statistics in research projects.
“We still don’t have a good understanding of what causes autoimmune diseases to occur and what causes them to relapse. . . They involve interactions of the immune systems and multiple tissues.”
What can we find out if we collected health records from all of our specialists, as well as self-reported symptoms from patients? At the Autoimmune Registry, we have been collecting data in the form of self-reported surveys, but one of our goals has always been to eventually incorporate electronic medical records into our data commons. We believe with more data, and more comprehensive data, we can form a better and more holistic understanding of autoimmune diseases and their complex effects on patients.
To support our efforts, please join our registry or share it with others. Donations are also greatly appreciated!
