Building a Harmonized Datamart by Integrating Cross-Institutional Systems of Clinical, Outcome, and Genomic Data: The Pediatric Patient Informatics Platform (<i>PPIP</i>).

Abstract

Siloed electronic medical data limits utility and accessibility. At the Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, cross-institutional data were inconsistent and difficult to access. To unify data for clinical operations, administration, and research, we developed the Pediatric Patient Informatics Platform (<i>PPIP</i>), an integrated datamart harmonizing multiple source systems across two institutions into a common technology. Starting in 2009, user requirements were gathered and data sources were prioritized. Project teams, including biostatisticians, database developers, and an external contractor, were formed. Read-access to source systems was established. The 3-layer <i>PPIP</i> architecture was developed: STAGING, a near-exact copy of source data; INTEGRATION, where data were reorganized into domains; and, CONSUMPTION, where data were optimized for rapid retrieval. The diverse systems were integrated into a common IBM Netezza technology. Data filters were defined to accurately capture the Center's patients, and derived data items were created for harmonization across sources. An interactive online query tool, <i>PPIP360</i>, was developed using Microstrategy Analytics. Driven by scientific objectives, the <i>PPIP</i> datamart was created, including 33,674 patients, 2,983 protocols, and 3.6 million patient visits from 14 source databases, 164 source tables, and 2,622 source data items. The <i>PPIP360</i> has 605 data items and 33 metrics across 11 reports and dashboards. Dana-Farber and Boston Children's established a legal data-sharing agreement. The <i>PPIP</i> has supported hundreds of faculty, staff, and projects, including planning clinical trials and informing strategic planning. The <i>PPIP</i> has successfully harmonized and integrated diagnostic, demographic, laboratory, treatment, clinical outcome, pathology, transplant, meta-protocol, and -omics data, for efficient, daily operational and research activities at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, and future external sharing.