Lecture Series

Using EHR data for Clinical Research: A Role for the Applied Informatician

Melissa Saul, M.S.
Director, Clinical Research Informatics Service

Friday, October 2, 2009
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Parkvale Building (200 Meyran Avenue)
Classroom M-184 (on the mezzanine level), or via video conference at the UPMC Cancer Pavilion, Room 341

Abstract: Most health care organizations are in the process of implementing a type of an electronic health record (EHR) whether it be a modular system connecting ancillary systems such as laboratory, pharmacy and radiology or an integrated system supporting decision support, CPOE, and results review. As a result, a tremendous amount of data is generated each day to support patient care. This data enables a secondary use of the data for clinical research. However, a clinical researcher is often overwhelmed with the task of how to translate their research idea into a question that the EHR data can answer. The researcher also has limited knowledge of software tools and techniques available to collect and analysis data.

The Clinical Research Informatics Service (CRIS) at DBMI operates a consulting service to clinicians, faculty and students for EHR data extraction, analysis and de-identification as part of PittŐs Center of Clinical and Translational Informatics (CCTI). Since its inception in 2001, CRIS has worked on over 350 IRB approved research projects utilizing EHR data and participates regularly in the planning and design of new clinical research initiatives.

This talk will present several use cases from the CRIS archives of the role of an informatician as part of a clinical research team. Both successes and failures will be presented. Examples of data requests from physicians, pharmacists, students, and public policy researchers will be discussed along with the different approaches needed by an informatician to meet the objectives of each of these groups.

An overview of the technical and analytic skills that enable the informatician to be successful in the clinical research domain will be described. Related to this topic will be a discussion on the recent article authored by the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Biomedical Informatics Key Function Committee on the distinctions between information technology professionals, computer scientists and informaticians.

For more information: www.dbmi.pitt.edu or 412.647.7113