JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a surge of research publications spanning epidemiology, basic science, and clinical science. Thanks to the digital revolution, large datasets are now accessible and enable real-time epidemic tracking. However, despite this, academic faculty and their trainees have been struggling to access comprehensive clinical data. To tackle this issue, we have devised a clinical data repository that streamlines research processes and promotes collaboration.

Objective:

Present an easily accessible up-to-date database that promotes access to local COVID-19 clinical data, thereby increasing efficiency, streamlining, and democratizing the research enterprise. By providing a robust database, a broad range of researchers (faculty, trainees) and clinicians from different areas of medicine are encouraged to explore and collaborate on novel clinically relevant research questions.

Methods:

A research platform called the Yale Department of Medicine COVID- 19 explorer and repository (DOM-CovX) was constructed to house cleaned, highly granular, de-identified, continually updated data from over 18,000 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (1/2020-1/2023) across the Yale New Haven Health System. This included a front-end user interface for simple data visualization of aggregate data and more detailed clinical datasets for researchers after a review board process.

Results:

As of February 2023, the DOM-CovX explorer has received 40 requests from different groups of scientists at Yale and the repository has expanded research capability to a diverse group of stakeholders including clinical and research-based faculty and trainees within 15 different surgical and non-surgical specialties. A dedicated DOM-CovX team guides access and use of the database which has enhanced interdepartmental collaborations, resulting in the publication of 16 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 2 projects available in preprint servers, and 8 presentations in scientific conferences. Currently the DOM-CovX repository includes up to 3,997 variables across 7 different clinical domains, with continued growth in response to researchers’ requests and data availability.

Conclusions:

The DOM-CovX data explorer and repository is a user-friendly tool for analyzing data and accessing a consistently updated, standardized and large-scale database. Its innovative approach fosters collaboration, diversity of scholarly pursuits and expands medical education. Additionally, it can be applied to other diseases beyond COVID-19.