Health Data & Informatics

General Information

The CQLS Health Data & Informatics (HDI) Program is focused on providing resource planning support, establishing new resources, and developing opportunities for collaboration for researchers whose research involves health data.

You may be interested in connecting with the HDI Program if your current or planned research includes:

  • collecting, managing, integrating, analyzing, and applying diverse biomedical and health-related data
  • developing new data methods and/or tools for use with health data
  • working with publicly available health data, such as the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) or the Medical Expenditure Survey (MEPS) or other datasets
  • working with electronic health records from health systems, or health insurance claims data, such as Medicare or Medicaid claims data
  • using apps to collect health data
  • using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) software to collect and manage research data
  • connecting with health plans and/or systems and/or collaborators to conduct your research involving health data

We recognize that health data and informatics research and expertise may reside in any college or program and aim to involve interested faculty and students from across OSU and affiliates. We are also engaging external stakeholders with interests in data-intensive biomedical and health research.

You can connect with HDI via the listserv.

The Health Data Science list serve is part of the HDI Community of Learning & Practice at Oregon State University at cqls-hds@lists.oregonstate.edu.

Feel free to use the HDS listserv to have conversations about health data! All our conversations are publicly archived so you can always check back if you need to find information again.

What else do you need from your health data science community? Let us know!

About

The HDI program is committed to fostering an environment where campus-wide researchers with an interest in HDI-related research can meet, discuss thoughts and ideas, and collaborate.

Periodic events will allow researchers to share experiences about work in progress regarding health data methods, resources, and regulatory issues; novel datasets; and development of new tools/software for health research. Faculty and students across campus and affiliates are welcome.

We hope to see you at our next event!

Health Data Source Quick Stop

Looking for data sources for your research?

There are thousands out there in the public domain.  We started a listing here and will add more if you help us!  Send us you favorite URLs for data sources for health data research to: cqls-hds@lists.oregonstate.edu

We will be updating the list of sources periodically, so check back!!

US Data Sources

International Data Sources

Important US Household Surveys

American Community Survey (ACS) The ACS helps local officials, community leaders, and businesses understand the changes taking place in their communities. It is the premier source for detailed US population and housing information.

National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) The NHIS has been conducted since 1957 by the National Center for health statistics [NCHS] and its predecessor agency. The survey collects data from a large representative sample of households in the United States. NHIS is “the principal source of information on the health of the civilian non-institutionalized population of the United States.” It includes data on health status, care, demography and behaviors.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) The BRFSS consists of a series of state-based household surveys conducted by state health departments with technical assistance and support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), conducted since 1996, is a set of large-scale surveys of families and individuals, their medical providers, and employers across the US. MEPS is the most complete source of data on the cost and use of health care and health insurance coverage.


National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) The NSDUH is conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA]. The survey tracks substance abuse and mental health of the non-institutionalized population of the US.

 

The HDI Program offers resources to faculty to assist with research collaborations and extramural grant applications.  We offer one-on-one or group consultation relating to HDI research projects; health-related data management; and services necessary for collection, secure storage, and analysis of health data.  We strive to foster opportunities for researchers to establish connections,  initiate collaborations, and find the right resources to facilitate projects.

Notably in 2021, in collaboration with the Office of Information Security (OIS) and University Information Technology (UIT), we have set up a new resource using Microsoft (MS) Azure Secure Cloud.  This cloud computing environment is especially useful for research projects that require sensitive data for collection, processing, and/or analysis.  This computing environment facilitates the secure collection of data, such as through REDCap in the Secure Cloud, or uploading/depositing/analyzing sensitive data.  These data can then be securely exported into a secure Windows Virtual Desktops for analysis using a variety of programs, e.g., R, SAS, SPAA, STATA and MS Office.  The MS Azure Secure Cloud environment will enforce security compliance to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Health Information Trust Alliance (HITRUST) Common Security Framework (CSF) and is audited and monitored by OSU’s OIS Security Operations Center (SOC).  These security features are in line with those required for the most common research data use agreements. 

Please see our updated facilities resource documents to assist with research grant planning and our Fee Planner for MS Azure Secure Cloud for Research Data for estimating costs for use of this service.

Feel free to make an appointment for a consultation with us.

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REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture)/Data Management Resources

About

The HDI program promotes and actively facilitates the use of REDCap as a resource for collecting and managing sensitive research data. REDCap is in common use at academic and local medical centers and other universities, access to REDCap as a data management tool can enable OSU researchers to conduct and collaborate in large multisite and longitudinal studies. 

REDCap is a research data management system that uses a secure web application for building and managing research data for online surveys and databases.  While REDCap can be used to collect almost any type of data, in 2021 we have moved to supporting the needs of those projects requiring more robust information security and privacy standards.  With the OSU REDCap in the Secure Cloud (Refer to REDCap Terms of Use), research data collection that requires security and privacy protections for use of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or Personal Health Information (PHI) (refer to HIPAA (Health Information Portability and Accountability Act) requirements), can be supported.

REDCap provides features not available in other data management systems including support for large-scale longitudinal studies. We have OSU-specific training resources in addition to the REDCap Consortium resources for REDCap users.  Researchers can contact us to set up REDCap accounts for their research teams and to consult on their data management plans.

Learning Resources

We have a few ways to help you get started using REDCap! 

  • CQLS offers a training REDCap server for you to see what REDCap can do and practice building projects.  Please note that no real data can be collected here.

  • CQLS offers a Canvas site for REDCap training starting with an introduction and ending with advanced topics.

The REDCap Canvas site covers topics such as:

  • Building data collection instruments
  • Data dictionary and codebook
  • Testing your project
  • Create reports and export data
  • Sending surveys
  • Mid study project changes
  • Piping
  • Conditional logic
  • Calculations and functions
  • Data quality rules
  • Longitudinal data collection
  • Repeating/one to many instruments
  • Smart variables
  • Data missingness
  • Electronic consent

Interested in joining the practice server or Canvas site?

REDCap has other (external to OSU) training materials:

If you have any questions about REDCap at OSU, please contact Joe Spring

Additional Resources

Planning to use REDCap?  CHECK OUT Important Info:

OSU REDCap in the Secure Cloud Terms of Use Guide

Fee Planner for MS Azure Secure Cloud for Research Data

REDCap development at OSU

  • 2019 began a test phase of REDCap on local server for practice data.
  • 2020 in collaboration with OIS, UIT and the TRACE Investigators, deployed a secure, custom, on-premises version of REDCap for use with COVID surveillance research through the TRACE community project.
  • 2021 in collaboration with OIS and UIT, established and tested an OSU-based REDCap system housed on a Microsoft (MS) Azure Secure Cloud. CPHHS research teams participated in piloting the new set up.
  • 2022 NIH funded research teams using REDCap to collect their data.
  • 2023 published training materials and videos on CANVAS.
  • 2023 developed and led a graduate credit course in College of Health 599/699 Advanced Research Methods Using REDCap.  Included guest lectures of Principal Investigator experienced using REDCap, hands-on training, and student-led projects. 
  • 2024 conducted hands-on workshop with training materials and new videos posted in CANVAS