Integrating clinical research into electronic health record workflows to support a learning health system

Nicole H Goldhaber; Marni B Jacobs; Louise C Laurent; Rob Knight; Wenhong Zhu; Dean Pham; Allen Tran; Sandip P Patel; Michael Hogarth; Christopher A Longhurst

doi:10.1093/jamiaopen/ooae023

Integrating clinical research into electronic health record workflows to support a learning health system

JAMIA Open. 2024 May 15;7(2):ooae023. doi: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooae023. eCollection 2024 Jul.

Authors

Nicole H Goldhaber¹, Marni B Jacobs², Louise C Laurent², Rob Knight^{3

4

5}, Wenhong Zhu⁶, Dean Pham⁶, Allen Tran⁶, Sandip P Patel⁷, Michael Hogarth⁸, Christopher A Longhurst^{3

8}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego Health, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States.
² Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Services, University of California San Diego Health, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States.
³ Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego Health, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States.
⁴ Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States.
⁵ Department of Bioengineering, Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States.
⁶ Information Services, University of California San Diego Health, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States.
⁷ Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of San Diego Health, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States.
⁸ Division of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Medicine, University of San Diego Health, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States.

Abstract

Objective: Integrating clinical research into routine clinical care workflows within electronic health record systems (EHRs) can be challenging, expensive, and labor-intensive. This case study presents a large-scale clinical research project conducted entirely within a commercial EHR during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Case report: The UCSD and UCSDH COVID-19 NeutraliZing Antibody Project (ZAP) aimed to evaluate antibody levels to SARS-CoV-2 virus in a large population at an academic medical center and examine the association between antibody levels and subsequent infection diagnosis.

Results: The project rapidly and successfully enrolled and consented over 2000 participants, integrating the research trial with standing COVID-19 testing operations, staff, lab, and mobile applications. EHR-integration increased enrollment, ease of scheduling, survey distribution, and return of research results at a low cost by utilizing existing resources.

Conclusion: The case study highlights the potential benefits of EHR-integrated clinical research, expanding their reach across multiple health systems and facilitating rapid learning during a global health crisis.

Keywords: COVID-19 antibodies; EHR-integration; clinical informatics; clinical research; interoperability.

Publication types

Case Reports