Bridging Data Models in Health Care With a Novel Intermediate Query Format for Feasibility Queries: Mixed Methods...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Clinical Data Management
• Biomedical Research

Background:

• Advancing clinical research requires fast and easy access to diverse data sources.
• The German Medical Informatics Initiative (MII) uses the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard for data harmonization.
• Querying data across different systems and standards (e.g., CQL, FHIR Search) presents significant challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement an intermediate query syntax for feasibility queries.
• To simplify data availability assessments for researchers.
• To enhance interoperability within the federated German health research portal (Forschungsdatenportal Gesundheit) and the MII.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of requirements for feasibility queries and existing tools.
• Development of an intermediate query syntax translatable to various repository-specific languages.
• Definition of a JSON schema and ontology for the new syntax.

Main Results:

• The Clinical Cohort Definition Language (CCDL) was created for feasibility queries.
• CCDL combines inclusion/exclusion criteria with filters for time and numerical restrictions.
• Demonstrated CCDL's translatability and usability across multiple studies and real-world use cases.

Conclusions:

• A structured query syntax (CCDL) for feasibility queries was developed and evaluated.
• CCDL was successfully integrated into a research platform across 39 German university hospitals.
• The new syntax simplifies data access and improves interoperability for clinical research.