The final CCTS Forum for 2016 provided an overview of the exciting opportunities on the horizon for clinical researchers in 2017, which can be summarized by one acronym: “i2b2.” The UAB instance of i2b2, which stands for “Informatics for Integrating Biology & the Bedside,” said UAB Informatics Institute (II) Director Dr. James J. Cimino, provides researchers with access to de-identified EHR data derived from the Cerner Impact system.
“i2b2 is a great way to explore hypotheses and check study feasibility prior to writing a grant,” said UAB Informatics Institute (II) Assistant Director Matthew Wyatt. “It offers a more user-friendly interface to conduct self-service queries than the Enterprise Data Warehouse, and also allows researchers to obtain HIPAA limited data sets or request a consultation by just dragging and dropping their data set into a field and asking for help.”
Wyatt shared numerous case studies highlighting innovative ways researchers are already using i2b2, including assessing recruitment potential, exploring patient populations, and even developing software. He also reviewed several innovative features the II has developed for UAB i2b2, including a data download plugin, integration with the UAB Learning Management System, IRB Exemption for Self Service access to patient level detailed data (HIPAA LDS), and others.
Wyatt also encouraged attendees to think beyond UAB for cohort estimation and recruitment. “If you don’t find the patients you need in the UAB EHR, you can use i2b2 to access data at other institutions via the Shared Health Research Informatics Network (SHRINE).” SHRINE is built on top of an i2b2 platform, setting the stage for multisite collaborations. Participating SHRINE institutions include UAB, the Medical University of South Carolina, the University of Kentucky, Emory, and the University of Arkansas Medical School, “and the list is growing.” Several CCTS Partners are also active in SHRINE instances, further extending the list of possible collaborators for multisite studies.
Leveraging our i2b2 instances, UAB is in partnership with a company called TriNetX, which connects potential trial sites and principal investigators to pharma sponsors supporting clinical trials on the basis of informatics-enabled assessment of cohort feasibility. TriNetX Chief Medical Officer Dr. Manfred Stapff spoke next, reviewing the advantages of a federated research network approach such as TriNetX. In addition to cohort queries, this network is similar to SHRINE in its ability to support multisite collaborations. “TriNetX also enables faster recruitment of prequalified patients and can help institutions win more competitive grants,” Stapff said, highlighting two additional benefits. Stapff provided a demonstration of the TriNetX user interface, showing how a researcher could apply a variety of exclusion/inclusion criteria and “easily determine possible enrollment hurdles.”
Attendees asked which data types researchers might expect to find in the three systems. All three will offer demographic patient data, as well as diagnosis, labs, and medications, but only i2b2 currently provides extended demographics on pregnancy, marital, and smoking status; alcohol consumption; zip codes, and living will. UAB’s i2b2 also includes data on allergies, immunizations, length of stay, lab panels, and is the only system to offer cancer registry data and the ability to provide project-specific data such as microbiology testing and rheumatology scores. There are plans to include genomic data in both i2b2 and TriNetX, and visit information in i2b2 and SHRINE, with i2b2 offering more extensive data on admit source, length of stay, and discharge disposition.
Researchers interested in learning more about how to use i2b2 are encouraged to sign up for a hands-on training session (the next available session is Thursday, Jan. 5, registration is required). Starting in 2017, the i2b2 training session will be offered bimonthly (visit the CCTS Events page for more information). For those interested in multisite collaborations or industry sponsored trials, contact CCTS Research Commons at