FAQs

The Arkansas Clinical Data Repository (AR-CDR) is a research data warehouse that provides a single and secure source of data for use in clinical and translational research. Since its launch in 2011, the AR-CDR has enabled UAMS researchers and faculty to conduct high quality, timely and efficient clinical and translational research. The AR-CDR houses data that are extracted from EPIC electronic health records (EHR) system and legacy systems. Some of the information available data is listed below.

To submit a request for data to the AR-CDR you will fill out the request form located in ServiceNow. Click here to complete the form. Please provide as much information as possible.

Once the request form has been submitted you will be contacted by an AR-CDR analyst who will review the requirements with you and provide you with a timeline.

The analyst will provide a sample data set for you to review. You will have the opportunity to request changes if necessary. The analyst will request your approval of the sample data set before they proceed with your request.

You will then be provided with the full data set. Please provide your feedback to the analyst. AR-CDR wants to know that you are satisfied with the data set that you received.

The amount of time it will take to fulfill your data request will vary depending on complexity, any deadlines you may have, and the AR-CDR workload. The timeline will be discussed with you once the analyst has reviewed the requirements. The analyst or project manager will provide status updates and any changes to the timeline.

No, the AR-CDR is able to begin working on your data request prior to IRB approval. AR-CDR will engage the Honest Broker to review your data set before it is provided to you.

Submit a human subject research determination form through CLARA to find out. This form can be accessed by clicking the green “create a new submission” link after logging into CLARA.

When completing the determination form, please provide as much information as you can. While you will not be required to upload a protocol as part of this form, if you already have a protocol or other similar scope-of-work document available, we encourage you to attach it. The same is true for any other project-related materials, such as questionnaires. The more information you can include, the better idea we’ll have of your project’s scope, making it easier for us to evaluate it.

If the IRB tells you, through CLARA, that your project is not research involving human subjects, you are done with the IRB. You will want to hang on to that correspondence, though, to document that you have had the IRB look at your project and that it doesn’t need IRB review.

Complete the required online human subject protection training at citiprogram.org. Affiliate with UAMS to access the required training.

Draft a protocol. If you have never written a protocol before (or even if you have), the IRB has a protocol template available on its website. Please use it, or at least refer to it, as you are putting together your protocol, because it is a guide to the minimum information the IRB needs to review study. And please note that your protocol should be very detailed — things that may seem obvious to you still need to be written down, so the IRB can make the determinations it is required to make.

Start a new submission form in CLARA. This can be accessed via the green “create a new submission form” link after logging in.

You can click here to find additional IRB information.

Epic data are the main source in the AR-CDR, which dates back to May 2014. However, the AR-CDR has integrated data from different sources. Including AHECs (Arkansas Area Health Education Centers). The following list provides the data source and the dates of data availability in the AR-CDR:

Epic (May 2014 – Current)

Medipac (1997 – May 2014)

Softlab (1997 – 2006)

Physician Billing (2001 – 08/2013)

Logician (2001 – 2014)

Echo (2002 – Current)

Tumor Registry (2004 – Current)

Sunrise (2005 – 2014)

AHECS (Regional Centers) (2001 – Current)

There are 2 ways you can request a cohort. AR-CDR provides the UAMS Cohort Estimation Tool as a convenient self-service tool. To access the cohort estimation tool you will complete a brief training and submit a request for access to the AR-CDR. Click here to complete the training module. Click here once you have completed the training module to request access. Once you have received an email containing your login you can click here to access the tool.

The AR-CDR contains a wide variety of clinical, billing, patient, and provider information. Below is a sample of subject areas currently available:

No, the data warehouse is a free enterprise resource that can be used by anyone at UAMS.

Yes, an acknowledgement should be made to the AR-CDR in any publication when data for the study were provided by the Arkansas Clinical Data Repository (AR-CDR) maintained by the Department of Biomedical Informatics in the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). The AR-CDR is approved to operate as an enterprise data resource to support research across UAMS.