Research Data Ecosystem Improved with i2b2 Refresh
As the first step in a broader effort to improve the clinical research data ecosystem, Northwestern University’s instance of i2b2 has been refreshed. The web-based query tool, Informatics for Integrating Biology & the Bedside (i2b2), now contains data through 2025. The update allows Feinberg School of Medicine (FSM) faculty, staff and students to query a database of over 11.7 million patients whose EHR data is housed in the Northwestern Medicine Enterprise Data Warehouse (NMEDW).
The i2b2 refresh offered an opportunity to migrate to new infrastructure, ensuring the ongoing operation of our self-service capabilities at FSM.”
After logging in to i2b2 with a NetID and password (those new to i2b2 will need to first request access), users can perform their own search for patient counts based on the following variables: diagnoses, procedures, demographics, laboratory results, or medications. I2b2 also allows users to see how many patients participate in the NUgene biobank. Identifying the number of patients with certain characteristics can help researchers understand whether a proposed study may be completed with available resources.
"Luke Rasmussen’s leadership has been instrumental in moving this work forward," says Kristi Holmes, PhD, director of informatics and data science at NUCATS. Dr. Holmes continues, "I’m grateful to the entire team for an outstanding collaborative effort in bringing these tools to our research community." Special thanks goes to Prasanth Nannapaneni, senior technical architect - research analytics, NMEDW, and Kimberlee Holman, data engineer associate, NMEDW, for leading the data refresh. Bennett Terwilliger, Systems Administrator, FSM, led the infrastructure upgrade.
While continuing to support i2b2, NUCATS has been exploring another self-service query tool, Leaf, developed by the University of Washington. Leaf will be made available at Northwestern this fall to provide expanded options for cohort discovery and research feasibility. The NUCATS team is actively seeking feedback from the FSM research community to ensure needs are being met. Those interested can fill out the REDCap survey.
The i2b2 refresh is an important step toward strengthening our clinical research data ecosystem. It directly supports CTSA Program goals of accelerating translational science and improving access to high‑quality data.”
