International data-sharing for radiotherapy research: an open-source based infrastructure for multicentric clinical data mining

Authors: 
Erik Roelofs, André Dekker, Elisa Meldolesi, Ruud G.P.M. van Stiphout, Vincenzo Valentini, Philippe Lambin
Year: 
2013

Extensive, multifactorial data sharing is a crucial prerequisite for current and future (radiotherapy) research. However, the cost, time and effort to achieve this are often a roadblock. We present an open-source based data-sharing infrastructure between two radiotherapy departments, allowing seamless exchange of de-identified, automatically translated clinical and biomedical treatment data.

Legal and ethical

A collaboration and data transfer agreement was signed which describes the type of data, the permitted use and the protection of the data. This agreement was submitted to and approved by the local ethical authority.

An example agreement is attached below.

Overview of data sources, flow and external access. Terms as mentioned in the table below:

TermMeaning
CTPClinical Trial Processor
KeyDBSecure key database linking random research patient identifier (ResearchID) and original patient data
OntologyGBDatabase with preferred terms and concept IDs after mapping local terms to SNOMED CT concepts.
ResearchDBResearch database holding medical data and imaging meta data
ResearchIDRandom patient identification code
ResearchPACSResearch PACS partition holding only de-identified DICOM objects
SeriesInstanceUIDUnique series identifier for all images in a series for a given patient`
SNOMED-CTSystematized Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Terms
TempPACSTemporary PACS partition holding identifiable DICOM headers
UIDUnique IDentifier

 

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