A clinical data repository is a collection of clinical data from patients that can be used by healthcare professionals for patient care and management, as well as by researchers to retrospectively review clinical data. Access to information is restricted for legal reasons. Creating a clinical data archive requires a robust electronic health record system. It can be useful for diagnostic purposes and can also help with the ongoing management of chronic and terminal illnesses. Researchers can also arrange for access to a clinical data repository after review by an ethics committee to ensure their work is ethically appropriate.
A clinical data repository is a collection of clinical data from patients passing through a facility, clinic, or doctor’s office. Healthcare professionals can use this information in individual patient care as well as in the management of particular procedures, departments and treatment protocols. It can also be extremely valuable to researchers who wish to retrospectively review clinical data. Access to information is restricted for legal reasons, as it could potentially be compromising for patients.
Creating a clinical data archive requires a robust electronic health record system, ideally one in which historical records have been scanned or entered. As users develop new information through lab tests, medical imaging studies, and patient exams, they enter it into electronic files. These files enter the clinical data repository to update it and provide additional information. Healthcare professionals can also network with others to share medical records if patients allow.
One use for a clinical data repository is in patient care. A physician can view an entire patient record and can make note of any special findings. He can easily retrieve the record from a variety of locations, search and analyze it. This can be useful for diagnostic purposes and can also help with the ongoing management of chronic and terminal illnesses. The centralized nature of the data can also reduce the risk of errors.
For researchers within a facility, a clinical data repository can be a valuable resource. Hospital administrators and other staff can search by various parameters. They can use this information to identify problems within departments, differing treatment outcomes, and other topics of interest. This can help administrators develop policies and participate in creating new standards of care and treatment. The goal is to improve patient care in individual facilities through statistical analysis and monitoring.
Researchers can also arrange for access to a clinical data repository after review by an ethics committee to ensure their work is ethically appropriate. You can compare patient records across databases in in-depth assessments to evaluate patient outcomes with different types of treatments. For long-term studies of various populations, this can be very useful. A researcher might be interested in health disparities in heart care, for example, and might rely on existing clinical data as a resource to learn more about who receives care, what the quality of care is, and when it is provided.
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