Barriers encountered with clinical data warehouses: Recommendations from a focus group

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Data Management
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Electronic health records generate vast clinical data.
• Data warehouses are used to leverage this data for research.
• Implementing clinical data warehouses (CDWs) faces significant barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and categorize barriers in CDW development and implementation.
• To propose practical recommendations for overcoming these challenges.

Main Methods:

• A focus group was conducted with CDW implementation professionals.
• Experts shared difficulties encountered during CDW project phases: launch, implementation, and routine use.
• Proposed solutions were also collected.

Main Results:

• 26 barriers were identified across tasks, tools, persons, organization, and external environment.
• 15 practical recommendations were developed.
• Recommendations cover governance, stakeholder engagement, and collaboration.

Conclusions:

• The recommendations provide a roadmap for healthcare institutions.
• Optimizing CDWs enhances data leverage for research and patient care.
• Successful CDW implementation improves quality and patient outcomes.