What is the Research Derivative (RD)?
The Research Derivative (RD) is Vanderbilt’s fully identified and robust repository of clinical data drawn from the electronic medical record (Epic, StarPanel, the Enterprise Data Warehouse, HEO, and other sources).
Type of Data
- Electronic Health Records (EHR)
Years Available
1980s to present, most robust starting in 2001
Description
The Research Derivative is a database of clinical and related data derived from VUMC’s clinical systems and restructured for research. It repurposes data from VUMC’s enterprise data warehouse, which includes StarPanel, VPIMS, ORMIS, EPIC, Medipac, and HEO, among others. Person identifiers, including medical record numbers, are preserved. Data types include reimbursement codes, clinical notes, nursing records, medication data, laboratory data, and encounter data. Structured data (e.g., ICD-10 codes) and unstructured data (e.g., physician notes) are available. The database is maintained by the Office of Research Informatics.
Strengths
- Supports identified information for research purposes.
- Supports non-research purposes, such as quality improvement work.
- Enables linkage to other data sources.
- Allows large cohort extractions.
- Provides access to specialized datasets not easily available elsewhere.
Limitation
- Data from the 1980s-2000 may be incomplete or inconsistent due to evolving documentation practices and system changes.
- Access to RD requires governance approvals, including an approved IRB protocol, which may impact project timelines.
- While RD is connected to ImageVU and MicroVU, access to certain linked datasets may be subject to additional restrictions and approvals.
Availability
RD data can be accessed through:
- RD Discover: A free, self-service user-interface for cohort selection and select data element export.
- IDASC custom programming: A billable service for complex phenotype criteria or data requirement requests. Note: Funding is required to pay for hourly programming and project management costs.
- Databricks access: A workspace available for investigators who have the expertise to write their own SQL queries. Funding is required to pay for workspace setup and compute costs.
Contact Person
- VICTR Big Data team: victrbigdata@vumc.org