Service description

USC can use the research data warehouse for study planning (feasibility assessments, power analyses) through their respective i2b2 portals. The self-service website allows researchers to find the number of patients at Keck, or DHS (depending on their affiliation) that meet study inclusion and exclusion criteria. With IRB approval, researchers can also request identifiable patient information for screening or recruitment purposes from the CRI team.

Self-Service Data Requests
Using i2b2, users can search health system data for de-identified counts of patients who meet certain inclusion and exclusion criteria (i.e., cohort discovery). The search tool is accessible via a web browser and is self-service.

Click here to view the FAQs for information about obtaining IRB approval for data requests, i2b2, and other informatics questions BEFORE sending an email for help.

Benefits for users

  • Sample Size Planning / Feasibility Assessment: Determine how many patients in the USC, CHLA or DHS electronic health records meet your study criteria. View distributions of patients based on gender, race, and age.
  • Recruitment or Chart Screening: Use i2b2 to define a set of patients to consider for your study. Then, outside of i2b2, work with the health system(s) to access MRN or contact information. IRB approval is required for identified data sets.
  • Outcomes Research: Submit a request for de-identified data to use for a retrospective analysis.

How to get access

USC researchers are required to complete (1) Human Subjects Training and (2) HIPAA training. Once complete, and reflecting in your iStar profile, please email cri@usc.edu requesting an account.

Frequently Asked Questions

The service infrastructure consists centralized support staff on the USC Keck Campus. Embedded staff members are familiar with local practices, policies, and workflows and serve as informatics liaisons between the research community and the clinical operations community.

IRB approval is required whenever a researcher is requesting information beyond aggregate patient counts or outside of *limited data sets. Please explicitly state in your IRB application and or amendment the use of i2b2 and all of the data elements requested. For example, if requesting MRN, phone and medication orders, this must be clearly stated and approved in your IRB application and or amendment. Alternatively, you may run your query in i2b2, submit an i2b2 data request and attach that data request number generated by the system in your IRB application or amendment. For more clarification regarding your specific request, please email cri@usc.edu to set a time to review your scenario.

Click here to view a comprehensive list of FAQs.

* A limited dataset is a dataset at the patient level, with all 18 HIPAA identifiers removed or obscured. In this scenario the completion of a Data Use Agreement is required for the release of information.

Link to Keck DUA: https://policy.usc.edu/files/2...

CRI Open Office Hours

Tuesdays at 11AM: Open hours to discuss anything CRI related except for REDCap.

Zoom link

Contact information

Keck i2b2
Clinical Research Informatics

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Direct link

Click here to visit website

Tooltip: Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS)

USC’s Clinical Trial Management System, OnCore, is a jointly sponsored, web-based software system for managing clinical trials.

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Patient Data Resources for Clinical Research

View comparison of all patient data resources here.

NIH Funding Acknowledgment: Important - All publications resulting from the utilization of SC CTSI resources are required to credit the SC CTSI grant by including the NIH funding acknowledgment and must comply with the NIH Public Access Policy.