How can clinical biobanks and patient information be adapted for research – Establishing a hospital based data warehouse solution

The use of human biological material and related clinical information is central in basic research, translational research and clinical research. Extracting this information from hospital information systems is time-consuming and labor intensive. Establishing a data warehouse is a possible solution to extract the information in an efficient and secure way. An information model for a data warehouse has been developed at the Oslo University Hospital in collaboration with Akershus University Hospital. Being hospitals, the overall information model is patientcentered. The model also allows for appropriate data exchange between different organizations. The model is described with a focus on some of the major conditions for success with respect to the legal and organizational framework of Norwegian hospitals. A web-based information and tracking system for clinical biobanks is an important element of the model, and one of the aims of the national project Biobank Norway