Academic Journal
The DZHK Feasibility Explorer: Supporting Cohort Discovery and Feasibility Assessment for Cardiovascular Research.
| Τίτλος: | The DZHK Feasibility Explorer: Supporting Cohort Discovery and Feasibility Assessment for Cardiovascular Research. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Riess EM; Department of Medical Informatics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany., Kossen R; Department of Medical Informatics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany., Krefting D; Department of Medical Informatics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany.; German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Göttingen, Germany.; Campus Institute Data Science, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany., Molina KA; Department of Medical Informatics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany., Scheel H; Department of Medical Informatics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany.; German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Göttingen, Germany., Hanß S; Department of Medical Informatics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany.; German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Göttingen, Germany. |
| Πηγή: | Studies in health technology and informatics [Stud Health Technol Inform] 2026 Sep 17; Vol. 340, pp. 59-65. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: IOS Press Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 9214582 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1879-8365 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 09269630 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Stud Health Technol Inform Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Amsterdam ; Washington, DC : IOS Press, 1991- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Biomedical Research*/organization & administration , Cardiovascular Diseases*, Humans ; Feasibility Studies ; Germany ; Computer Security ; Cohort Studies ; Confidentiality ; User-Computer Interface |
| Περίληψη: | Introduction: The secondary use of clinical study data and biological samples holds substantial potential for advancing biomedical research. The German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) research platform made the secondary use of study data possible through standardized data collections and centralized data management. However, identifying suitable datasets and estimating cohort sizes prior to formal data access requests remains challenging due to restricted access to data and metadata. To address this gap, we developed the Feasibility Explorer (FE), a privacy-preserving tool that enables researchers interested in using the DZHK research data to explore data availability and assess study feasibility. Methods: The FE was designed based on requirements for multi-study research environments, analysis of existing cohort discovery tools, and DZHK-specific governance and data protection policies. It follows a layered architecture comprising presentation, application, and data-processing layers, enabling distributed querying across heterogeneous data sources, including clinical data, imaging data, and biological samples. A web-based user interface allows intuitive query construction via filters and presents aggregated results using predefined visualizations. Results: To ensure compliance with data protection regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the FE restricts outputs to aggregated data, suppresses small cohort sizes, and implements a blurring mechanism to mitigate inference attacks. Data integration is performed on demand using pseudonym mapping, and no individual-level data are exposed or persistently stored. Discussion: Since its productive deployment, the FE has supported researchers in assessing data availability and estimating cohort sizes prior to submitting formal applications. While initial experiences indicate improved transparency and usability, formal evaluation is ongoing. The Feasibility Explorer provides a practical approach to support feasibility assessments in a federated research data environment, enabling efficient and informed study planning while maintaining strict data protection constraints. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Medical informatics; biomedical research; feasibility analysis; federated research platform; secondary research |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260917 Date Completed: 20260917 Latest Revision: 20260917 |
| Update Code: | 20260918 |
| DOI: | 10.3233/SHTI260985 |
| PMID: | 42752469 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1879-8365 |
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| DOI: | 10.3233/SHTI260985 |