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These instructions have been created to provide general guidance to researchers seeking services from the DHS Informatics & Analytics Core Facility.

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You must obtain IRB approval (or determination of exemption) and a DHS, Research Oversight Board (ROB) Categorization Score, or DHS Level of Support. If the DHS Investigator(s) is a clinician at another DHS facility that is not LAC+USC and a categorization score was not provided on the iStar IRB letter of approval, then the DHS Investigator must submit a request to the DHS Research Oversight Board for a categorization score.

IRB approval

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• Required for all DHS data sets and patient counts.

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• The investigator must be named and approved on the IRB protocol if an approved IRB protocol is necessary for data receipt.
  

DHS Categorization Score

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(also known as DHS Level of Support)

• Investigators requiring data for an IRB-approved protocol at LAC+USC must also submit a request to the DHS Research Oversight Board for a categorization score if the score was not
  provided on the iStar IRB letter of approval.

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• If an alignment score was not provided and you are a LAC+USC Investigator, please file an amendment and be sure to indicate that you plan to view data from LAC+USC Associated Locations (other DHS facilities) in iStar

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• . This will trigger the ROB
  Categorization Score Process.
  

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• The DHS "E" or "C" numbers of all IRB-approved study personnel in need of access to the data

• IRB Approval Documentation or IRB determination of exemption

• A written description of your study inclusions/exclusion criteria (for example: All DHS patients 18 and up with ICD-10 codes xx and xx AND have had xx procedure code from June 2018 to June 2019 at LAC+USC only. Exclude minors and deceased patients)

• The name of your i2b2 query or DHS Report (If relevant)

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• The subject line “Research Data Request” and the IRB number

• DHS P.I. Name and Email

• The E or C numbers of all IRB approved study personnel in need of access to the data

• IRB Approval Documentation

• A written description of your study inclusionsinclusion/exclusion criteria and a data dictionary document with the associated concepts you are seeking (i.e. MRNs, zip codes, vaccination data, etc.)

• If available, references to any existing reports in the DHS report library that are similar to your request

  • Please see step 7. Requesting access to an existing DHS report

• Complete and attach the Report Request Form found below 

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3. Intake Consultation with the Informatics Team

Once your request is entered into Cherwell ( the DHS Helpdesk ticketing system), you will be contacted by the informatics DHS Informatics core for a phone data consultation to review the following:

• Discuss Data Sourcing

• DHS Categorization Score and IRB approval

• Potential Costs (depending on the complexity of the data request)

• Timeline

4. Accessing DHS Remote Virtual Desktops

Your DHS-affiliated investigator should already have access to a DHS computer and/or Intranet in order to view DHS research data. If remote access is desired, please review the instructions for Accessing DHS Remote Desktops.

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The Informatics Core will create a shared drive folder on the DHS intranet for secure file transfer. This folder will need to be mapped by the DHS Investigator. This shared drive folder will be used for the transfer of incoming data and the delivery of outgoing data. If you have already provided your C# or E#, and have received notification from our staff that your folder is ready to be mapped, please follow these steps:

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As we collaborate on the data extraction, we the DHS Informatics Core will use the "Incoming" subfolder in the shared drive folder to make updates to the logic and data specifications you that was submitted with your original Helpdesk ticket. 

• If this is a new report, please include sample data (at least three patient records manually abstracted for validation) for your request.

• Updates to the data dictionary and any data collection/specification sheets that will help our team better understand and source your data request

  • Example of excel sheet with deliverable data elements here 

• When applicable, a list of the consented participants that define authorized patients.

• A sample extract of three patients

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Please drop the following items into your approval documentation Approval Documentation folder on the informatics shared drive subfolder.

• IRB Letter of Approval

• IRB Full Application

• Any Data Specification Sheets attached to your IRB Application

• Any amendment approval letters

• A Full copy of the approved amendment

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7. Requesting access to an existing DHS report

Prospective studies in Category with a DHS category score of 3 can leverage existing reports in the Report Library (follow instructions on searching, COVID projects may wish to sort by the most recent items to review for relevance if search terms do not surface what is needed) 

Please see the instructions below while using the DHS Intranet. Your DHS PI is responsible for compliance with DHS and HIPAA policy, including minimum necessary and IRB authorized PHI disclosure.  

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• DHS Virtual Desktop "p0278 Discern Reporting Portal"

• ORCHID Icon → Reports Folder → Discern Reporting Portal → Login → Categories→ Published → <Report Category> →  <Report Name>

  • E.g. ORCHID Icon → Reports Folder → Discern Reporting Portal → Login → Categories→ Published → ED Urgent Care → Firstnet Times Log Report

Step 4: Attach the completed report access request form to your DHS helpdesk ticket. 

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