SPHN Federated Query System
The Federated Query System (FQS) made it possible to search for fully anonymized clinical information across all five university hospitals, while allowing the hospitals to retain full control over their data. The service was operating from 2021 to 2024. A new search system, the SPHN Data Exploration and Analysis System, will bring even more features in the future.
The SPHN Federated Query System (FQS) allowed queries on anonymized and nationally harmonized data coded in national or international terminologies. Researchers could assess whether and where patients or patient data potentially suitable for a specific research question exist at one or several of the Swiss University Hospitals. The system enabled researchers to verify the feasibility of their project by running simple queries against a subset of clinical data of all UHs. Additionally, it allowed designing and optimizing inclusion and exclusion criteria for study protocols without transferring any patient data.
These queries could include demographic information such as age and gender, diagnosis, procedures, medication with substance amounts and lab test results, and units. Overall, the system included over 700 Mio data points from currently over 700 000 patients, who signed the general consent.
The service was discontinued by 1.12.2024. The new SPHN Data Exploration and Analysis System will allow researchers to not only assess feasibility of a research project but also to perform basic analysis on the data.