PS1-22: The VDW Vital Signs File: Strengths, Issues, and Recommendations for the Future

Background/Aims: The Virtual Data Warehouse (VDW) Vital Signs file is an important data source for clinical information that is often used in VDW based research. Vital signs traditionally include pulse, diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, and body temperature. This file contains multiple records of these data for each patient as well as related data such as measure date, height, weight, body mass index, and position for blood pressure reading. Despite this importance, it has not thus far been subjected to broad, systematic scrutiny for the extent and quality of the data at implementing sites. That is soon to be remedied by the subject effort of the proposed poster. We have devised an analysis plan and are writing code to generate copious amounts of descriptive data. These data and our group’s cross-site analysis thereof will be documented in a report to the HMORN. The report will serve as a basis for establishing the current state of the Vital Signs files at implementing sites, and for making recommendations for future improvements. It should also prove quite useful as a reference for future grant writing efforts

Genome Sequencing of Four Strains of \u3ci\u3eRickettsia prowazekii\u3c/i\u3e, the Causative Agent of Epidemic Typhus, Including One Flying Squirrel Isolate

Rickettsia prowazekii is a notable intracellular pathogen, the agent of epidemic typhus, and a potential biothreat agent. We present here whole-genome sequence data for four strains of R. prowazekii, including one from a flying squirrel

Building a virtual cancer research organization

BACKGROUND: The Cancer Research Network (CRN) comprises the National Cancer Institute and 11 nonprofit research centers affiliated with integrated health care delivery systems. The CRN, a public/private partnership, fosters multisite collaborative research on cancer prevention, screening, treatment, survival, and palliation in diverse populations. METHODS: The CRN\u27s success hinges on producing innovative cancer research that likely would not have been developed by scientists working individually, and then translating those findings into clinical practice within multiple population laboratories. The CRN is a collaborative virtual research organization characterized by user-defined sharing among scientists and health care providers of data files as well as direct access to researchers, computers, software, data, research participants, and other resources. The CRN\u27s research management Web site fosters a high-functioning virtual scientific community by publishing standardized data definitions, file specifications, and computer programs to support merging and analyzing data from multiple health care systems. RESULTS: Seven major types of standardized data files developed to date include demographics, health plan eligibility, tumor registry, inpatient and ambulatory utilization, medication dispensing, laboratory tests, and imaging procedures; more will follow. Data standardization avoids rework, increases multisite data integrity, increases data security, generates shorter times from initial proposal concept to submission, and stimulates more frequent collaborations among scientists across multiple institutions. CONCLUSIONS: The CRN research management Web site and associated standardized data files and procedures represent a quasi-public resource, and the CRN stands ready to collaborate with researchers from outside institutions in developing and conducting innovative public domain research