Columbia, Md.-based MedStar Health announced on Feb. 3 that it is both a founding member and the first health system to join the Cerner Learning Health Network, which aims to make de-identified clinical data more accessible for medical studies.
MedStar is partnering with the EHR vendor on the research initiative to provide health systems and clinical research organizations with a network of information to use for medical research and advance patient and clinician healthcare outcomes. Additionally, network participants can use data and insights derived from Cerner's EHR and population health platform HealthEIntent to help support research.
The Cerner Learning Health Network automates de-identified clinical data collection from participating members and compiles the information into a database for health systems to access in support of their clinical research efforts.
The network only supports access to de-identified patient data, which is not allowed to leave Cerner's monitored systems or be shared without direct project-based consent, according to a news release. Individually identifiable data is not permitted to leave the network without authorization from a participating health system.
MedStar, along with patient representation, medical researchers and an ethicist will serve as members of a governance board, which will oversee all use cases of clinical data in the network.