Services | Informatics, Data Science & Biostatistics | Washington University in St. Louis

Services | Informatics, Data Science & Biostatistics | Washington University in St. Louis
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The Informatics Core Service (ICS) team has several services built around our
Data Sources
Data Lake
, and
Informatics Platforms and Tools
that allow you to request support from our team of experts or access self-service tools so you can get started right away. Research teams often use a combination of free and fee for service options in order to maximize the impact of ICS resources available.
See the
Service Request Form and Quick Links
table below for the services with cost and intake forms listed.
Data Request Decision Tree
Download the data request decision tree
Clinical Data Request
If you have a research idea that would benefit from comprehensive Electronic Health Record (EHR) data, and the sheer amount of data you want to gather makes manual chart abstraction impossible, then what you need is the services of the
ICS Data Brokerage group
The ICS Data Brokerage group can work with you to:
Establish which data source(s) work best for your needs (Legacy EHR, Epic, OMOP, and more).
Determine the best platform to use for your project.
Identify patients who meet your cohort criteria.
Gather data for all patients in your cohort.
Organize, clean, and deliver the data to your preferred location (Box, RIS, and more).
Set up recurring data-pulls so that the data is refreshed at the cadence of your choice (daily, monthly, quarterly, yearly, and more).
Kicking off the Clinical Data Request process is simple. The
first step
is to establish the inclusion/exclusion criteria for your desired cohort. The
second step
is to determine exactly what data you would like from the EHR (demographics, encounters, diagnoses, labs, medications, and more). The
third and final step
is to submit a
Clinical Data Pull Request
intake so that the Data Brokerage team can schedule an intake meeting with you to get the ball rolling.
Bring Your Own Broker
Investigators can also establish their own data broker service by using the “Bring Your Own Broker,” or BYOB, pathway for researchers.
When utilized, investigators would fund their own Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) to perform brokerage services. Investigators and their broker would be responsible for:
Understanding relational databases and how they work
Building out SQL queries to generate data sets
Completing Epic Tier 5 certification to access Epic Clarity data directly
Purchasing access to the WashU Data Lake, which covers the
cost
of:
Project Management Support
Project Intake
RDC IRB review
Ensuring institutional regulatory and data use compliance
Research Networks and Consortia
The ICS team provides standardized data on specific conditions through additional national registry efforts, including:
ASH Research Collaborative® (ASH RC) Sickle Cell Disease Research Network (SCD Network)
ASH Research Collaborative® (ASH RC) Multiple Myeloma Research Network (MM Network)
Cerebral Palsy Research Network MyCP
Collaborative Resource for Intensive-care Translational science, Informatics, Comprehensive Analytics, and Learning (CRITICAL)
SOURCE Collaborative
SPARC IBD
and more!
If there are additional research networks or consortia you would like to contribute data to but are not listed above, please email
i2help@wustl.edu
to discuss.
Access to Platforms and Tools
Getting Access to the free self-service platforms and tools allows you to conduct feasibility analyses, identify patient cohorts, build research databases, and more. In addition, using the free tools below will save time and money if you request services from our team of experts.
Platforms and Tools
Cost to Access
Request Account
Data Lake
No cost to request access*
Data Lake Account Request
ENACT
No cost to query EHR data for cohort feasibility
ENACT Account Request
MDClone
No cost to query data and generate synthetic data
MDClone Account Request
REDCap
No cost to use and manage by study team
REDCap Account Request
Slicer Dicer
No cost to query EHR data for cohort feasibility
Epic Account Request
TriNetX
No cost to query EHR data for cohort feasibility
TriNetX Account Request
IRB approval
required to access data sources for research in the Data Lake.
+Additional services are available at a cost. See
Service Request Form and Quick Links
table for a list of services and costs associated with each tool.
REDCap Support
The
ICS REDCap Support Team
provides free, basic support to WashU REDCap users**.
This support includes:
Creating
Self-Service User Support
materials such as:
User Access
and
Guest WashU REDCap Accounts
FAQs
User Guides
Sample language for grants and manuscripts
Advanced Project Design Tools
WashU REDCap e-Consent
Searching for existing built-in tools or applications to achieve desired REDCap functionality
Demonstrating how to use built-in tools or applications
Troubleshooting issues with current REDCap projects
Developing workarounds for functionality where no built-in solutions exist, if possible
Developing complex branching and/or automated survey invitation logic
Creating basic filters for reports
Providing virtual consultations (up to one hour meeting)
Submit a REDCap Ticket
to request any of these free services. Free REDCap support is
limited to approximately three hours of support per project team per month.
Additional work will be charged to the group/department at a flat hourly rate.
The
ICS
and
Biostatistics
groups provide additional REDCap based services for a fee. These additional services include:
REDCap Database Build
or Enhancement
Smart on FHIR – Epic Data Pull to REDCap
To request either of the services listed above, click on the link and complete the Intake form to set up a consultation and learn more.
Biostatistics
has many expert REDCap users with the ability to build and manage portions or all of your REDCap project. If you would like to learn more, please see the
Biostatistics Consulting Information
page. To best utilize biostatistics support in REDCap, please setup a consultation
prior to submitting your grant
to discuss the scope of the project and develop a budget that can be added to your grant application.
For a quick overview of all support resources, see the video below and adjoining
slides
More Information:
WashU REDCap
Access:
WashU REDCap Access
Login:
WashU REDCap Login
Contact:
REDCap Ticketing System
REDCap is a self-service platform available at no-cost to the WashU research community and external collaborators who have obtained an active WashU key. The majority of projects in WashU REDCap are managed by the study teams themselves in which the study team builds the project, adds study team members to the project, maintains the project throughout data collection and analyses, and closes out the project when complete.
Data Lake Access and Support
As a member of the research community at WashU, you are able to request access to an invaluable resource for exploring vast amounts of data. This has been built on Data Bricks and runs in Azure, providing a secure and scalable platform for storing, managing, and analyzing a wide range of clinical, research, and administrative data.
The WashU Data Lake is designed to be the central hub for data, enabling researchers to easily access and query large volumes of data from various sources. This includes Epic/Clarity, departmental databases/applications, REDCap data, and more. With the Data Lake’s powerful analytical capabilities, researchers can uncover hidden insights and patterns that can lead to breakthrough discoveries in medicine and beyond.
The Data Lake’s architecture is designed to be highly flexible and adaptable, allowing researchers to include their own data in the data lake and join it with data from the EHR. The data lake also includes robust security features to ensure that all data is protected and compliant with relevant regulations, such as HIPAA, which can help streamline IRB approval for your project.
Additionally, access to the Data Lake does not require any software installation or additional user accounts. Once you have been granted access, you can simply use your browser to access the data lake and log in using your WashU Key. This makes it extremely simple to get started and experience the benefits of the WashU Data Lake.
We invite you to explore the WashU Data Lake and see how it can support your research goals. Whether you are a seasoned researcher or just starting out, the data lake offers an unparalleled opportunity to unlock the full potential of data at WashU.
More information:
Request access as a first time user to the Data Lake
Request Data Lake Support
Infrastructure/Application Design & Development
Are you working on a research project and need the assistance of a technical team? The ICS Platform engineering team is here to help! We specialize in providing tailored solutions that meet your specific needs. Whether it’s integrating third-party tools, securely hosting these tools within the WashU network, or creating custom software for your project, we are equipped to assist you.
We have supported many users at WashU Medicine, here are a few examples:
Hosted and managed custom software for a multisite research study in collaboration with Harvard Medical School.
Developed a Large Language Model (LLM)-based chatbot application to support parents of pediatric patients.
Coordinated and cooperated with WashU Information Security (InfoSec) and our clients to ensure that all our technical solutions are compliant and secure.
Many other projects across the medical school
If you are interested in how we can assist you with your project, please reach out to learn more about the ICS Platform engineering team.
More information:
Request service or support
Service Request Form/Quick Links
The table below contains a full list of services offered by the ICS as well as cost, whether IRB approval is required, and an intake form to request the service.
Feasibility Counts
Data Request
REDCap Support
Data Lake Support
Infrastructure/Application Design and Development
Common Data Model Data Access
Feasibility Counts
Description
Cost
IRB Approval Required
Request Account or Services
MDClone
Query
No
No
MDClone Account Request
TriNetX
Query
No
No
TriNetX Account Request
ENACT
Query
No
No
ENACT Account Request
Data Broker
Feasibility Query
$150 per hour
(Oncology)
$200 per hour
(Internal)
$250 per hour
(External)
Yes
Data Broker Feasibility Query Request
Data Request
Description
Cost
IRB Approval Required
Request Account or Services
Clinical Data Request
EHR, OMOP, or other
Data Pull from Data Lake
$150 per hour
(Oncology)
$200 per hour
(Internal)
$250 per hour
(External)
Yes
Data request (clinical EHR data pull,
Reporting Workbench build)
MDClone
Request Original Non-Synthetic Data
$150 per hour
(Oncology)
$200 per hour
(Internal)
$250 per hour
(External)
Yes
Data Pull based on
MDClone Query
REDCap Support
Description
Cost
IRB Approval Required
Request Account or Services
REDCap Access
No
Yes*
REDCap Account Request
Free Basic Support
No
No
Submit a REDCap Ticket
Project Build or Project Enhancement
$100 per hour
Yes*
Request REDCap Build or Project Enhancement
Epic Data Pull to REDCap (Smart on FHIR)
$100 per hour
Yes*
Request Epic Data Pull to REDCap – Smart on FHIR
Data Lake Support
Description
Cost
IRB Approval Required
Request Account or Services
Data Lake Access
Pricing Guide
Yes*
Data Lake Account and Services Request
Data Lake Ingestion
No
Yes*
Class Access
No
No
Bring Your Own Broker (BYOB) for Research
$1000 per month
Yes*
Infrastructure/Application Design and Development
Description
Cost
IRB Approval Required
Request Account or Services
Includes:
App Development
Cloud based solutions
Linux Support
Home Directory Creation
Access to Servers
Integration with 3rd Party Systems
OpenAI
Questions or Project Ideas that do not fit any categories above.
$150 per hour
(Oncology)
$200 per hour
(Internal)
$250 per hour
(External)
No
Platform Engineering Services Requests
Common Data Model Data Access
Description
Cost
IRB Approval Required
Request Account or Services
Greater Plains Collaborative (GPC)
No
No
GPC DROC Oversight Request
National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet)
No
No
PCORnet® Front Door
Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP)
Yes
Yes
Clinical Data Pull Request
ICS Home Page
Services | Informatics, Data Science & Biostatistics | Washington University in St. Louis
Consultation & Services
Biostatistics Consulting
Informatics Core Services
Data Sources
Common Data Models
Platforms and Tools
Services
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