CO-CONNECT: A hybrid architecture to facilitate rapid discovery and access to UK wide data in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Preprint)
Authors: Jefferson Emily , Cole Christian , Mumtaz Shahzad , Cox Sam , Giles Tom , Adejumo Samuel , Urwin Esmond , Lea Daniel , McDonald Calum , Best Joseph , Masood Erum , Milligan Gordon , Johnston Jenny , Horban Scott , Birced Ipek , Hall Christopher , Jackson Aaron , Collins Clare , Rising Sam , Dodsley Charlotte , Hampton Jill , Hadfield Andrew , Santos Roberto , Tarr Simon , Panagi Vasiliki , Lavagna Joseph , Jackson Tracy , Chuter Antony , Beggs Jillian , Martinez-Queipo Magdalena , Ward Helen , von Ziegenweidt Julie , Burns Frances , Martin Jo , Sebire Neil , Morris Carole , Bradley Declan , Baxter Rob , Ahonen-Bishop Anni , Shoemark Amelia , Valdes Ana , Ollivere Benjamin J , Manisty Charlotte , Eyre David William , Gallant Stephanie , Joy George , McAuley Andrew , Connell David W , Northstone Kate , Jeffery Katie JM , Di Angelantonio Emanuele , McMahon Amy , Walker Matthew , Semple Malcolm Gracie , Sims Jessica Mai , Lawrence Emma , Davies Bethan , Baillie J Kenneth , Tang Ming , Leeming Gary , Power Linda , Breeze Thomas , Gilson Natalie , Murray Duncan J , Orton Chris , Pierce Iain , Hall Ian , Ladhani Shamez , Whitaker Matthew , Shallcross Laura , Seymour David , Varma Susheel , Reilly Gerry , Morris Andrew , Hopkins Susan , Sheikh Aziz , Quinlan Philip 
Published: June 2022

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 data have been generated across the UK as a by-product of clinical care and public health provision, and numerous bespoke and repurposed research endeavours. Analysis of these data has underpinned the UK’s response to the pandemic and informed public health policies and clinical guidelines. However, these data are held by different organisations and this fragmented landscape has presented challenges for public health agencies and researchers as they struggle to find, navigate permissions to access and interrogate the data they need to inform the pandemic response at pace.

OBJECTIVE

To transform UK COVID-19 diagnostic datasets to be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR).

METHODS

A federated infrastructure model was rapidly built to enable the automated and reproducible mapping of health Data Partners’ pseudonymised data to the OMOP common data model without the need for any data to leave the data controllers’ secure environments and to support federated cohort discovery queries and meta-analysis.

RESULTS

56 datasets from 19 organisations are being connected to the federated network. The data includes research cohorts and COVID-19 data collected through routine health care provision linked to longitudinal healthcare records and demographics. The infrastructure is live, supporting aggregate level querying of data across the UK.

CONCLUSIONS

CO-CONNECT was developed by a multidisciplinary team enabling rapid COVID-19 data discovery, instantaneous meta-analysis across data sources, and is researching streamlined data extraction for egress into a Trusted Research Environment (TRE) for research and public health analysis. CO-CONNECT has the potential to make UK health data more interconnected and better able to answer national-level research questions whilst maintaining patient confidentiality and local governance procedures.

CLINICALTRIAL