Simplifying access to a clinical data repository using schema summarization

Abstract

(CDR) integrates over 25 data sources, and as a result has a schema that is too complex to be directly queried by clinical researchers. Schema summarization uses abstract elements and links to summarize a complex schema and allows users with limited knowledge of the underlying database structure to effectively issue queries to the CDR for clinical and translational research. BACKGROUND Our institution developed a Clinical Data Repository (CDR) in 1998 that now integrates information from over 25 data sources distributed across the Health System. The CDR schema contains over 650 tables and nearly 2200 distinct attributes, and is constantly evolving. Unfortunately, issuing even basic querie