Edinburgh University is one of the leading research institutions which, along with  Birmingham and Warwick, will be conducting pioneering work as part of GlobalSurg3.

“Quality and outcomes in global cancer surgery: a prospective international cohort study” will collate  cancer patient information from hundreds of hospitals to directly compare surgery quality in more than 100 countries across four continents.

“Teams of medical professionals at each site will upload patient data for breast, gastric and colon cancer surgeries on a secure online database. They will detail complications such as infections and record death rates following an operation.”

Funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) it is a low cost easily accessible way to collect information which means the study can extend to countries that may otherwise be unable to afford to take part.

Dr Ewen Harrison, Project leader and Honorary Consultant Surgeon, University of Edinburgh said:

“We simply do not have a good overview of how surgery varies worldwide. This project aims to change that with its inclusive approach, encouraging any hospital, anywhere, to help us understand how best to improve patient care.”

More than 100 countries across 4 continents will participate in the study.

JC Allen Ingabire, GlobalSurg researcher, Kigali Teaching University Hospital, Rwanda said:

“Rwanda is a small country in East Africa where access to surgery is still challenging.

“The GlobalSurg team has helped me to interact with others on the current management of surgical conditions and establish a way of using data from our daily activities more effectively.

“Now, all my patients are benefitting from the same standard of care they would receive elsewhere.”

5000 medical professionals were recruited through social media to bring together the global healthcare data.

Dr Theophilus Teddy Kojo Anyomih, GlobalSurg researcher, Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana said:

“Our local research capacity in Ghana has improved tremendously since my hospital joined in with GlobalSurg studies. Taking part in GlobalSurg has been amazing and, as a doctor, I have learned a lot since becoming a collaborator.

“GlobalSurg3 has the potential to make a really positive impact on patients.”