Researchers

The Carolinas Collaborative is a regional clinical data research network built on a learning health system model. The Collaborative leverages a federated data network and network of clinicians and researchers to support multi-institutional research and quality improvement work. This initiative is managed by Health Sciences South Carolina and is made possible through a generous grant from The Duke Endowment. 

 The Carolinas Collaborative includes Health Sciences South Carolina (AnMed Health, Clemson University, Greenville Health System,McLeod Health, the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health, Palmetto Health, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, and the University of South Carolina), Duke University Health System, UNC Health Care, and Wake Forest Baptist Health. 

 In a federated data network, data remains at the originating institution but is standardized across all sites to allow for near real time querying of data within the network. 

Please note, you must register prior to submitting requests.

• Consults – Consults can be requested by investigators interested in learning more about the Collaborative and the request process.
• Count Requests – Counts of patients can be requested to determine feasibility of projects within the Collaborative. The Carolinas Collaborative encourages investigators to query the data warehouse at their home institution and/or request Carolinas Collaborative counts before proceeding with a dataset request. These steps will help expedite the dataset request process significantly.
• Dataset Requests – Identified, limited, or deidentified datasets can be requested through the Collaborative, with appropriate approvals from the Carolinas Collaborative and an Institutional Review Board (IRB).
• Collaborator Requests – Requests can be made by investigators wishing to find collaborators at sites within the Carolinas Collaborative

Any investigator from HSSC, Duke, and Wake Forest can request counts or a dataset. Prior to  submitting the request these investigators must complete a local i2b2 query (more details below).

Investigators at UNC must be faculty or EPA non-faculty, but do not need to complete a local i2b2 query prior to submitting requests.

In certain circumstances, investigators will not be able to view unmasked counts or receive data from other institutions unless a collaborator from that institution is represented on the study team. For example, if you’d like to request data from Duke and UNC, your study team must include co-investigators from both Duke and UNC.  These requirements vary across sites and depending on the data requested.  Carolinas Collaborative can help you find collaborators. Carolinas Collaborative highly encourages investigators to work with collaborators from other sites.

For more information on i2b2, click the link associated with your home institution:

• HSSC i2b2
• UNC i2b2
• Wake Forest i2b2
• Duke i2b2- Page under development. For more information on i2b2 at Duke, please contact Nancey Hassell at nancy.hassell@duke.edu 

If you are new to this process or unclear about what you want in your data request, we encourage you to query the data warehouse using i2b2 at your home institution and/or request a Carolinas Collaborative count before proceeding with a dataset request. These steps will help inform you about the Carolinas Collaborative data available to researchers. You may also request a consult.
Otherwise, you or a member of your team may submit a data request form, which asks for details about your project, study team, and requested data. The data request and approval process is outlined below.

Carolinas Collaborative has a standardized approval process, which is outlined in the Carolinas Collaborative Projects IRB Reliance Agreement Guidance (SOP).