Cohort identification for translational bioinformatics studies

Abstract

Translational studies for therapeutic development require cohort identification to identify appropriate biological materials from patients that can be utilized to test a specific hypothesis. Robust health information systems exist, but there are numerous challenges in accessing the information to select appropriate biological specimens needed for translational experiments. This chapter on methods describes the current standard process for cohort identification utilized by the Cutaneous Oncology Program and the Collaborative Data Services Core (CDSC) at Moffitt Cancer Center. The methods include utilization of graphical user interfaces coupled with database querying. As such, this chapter outlines the regulatory and procedural processes needed to utilize a health information management system to filter patients for cohort identification.