Using freely accessible databases for laboratory medicine research: experience with MIMIC database

Posted On 2017-07-21 04:54:30

Using freely accessible databases for laboratory medicine research: experience with MIMIC database

Yuan-Lan Huang1, Tony Badrick2,3, Zhi-De Hu4

1Department of Laboratory Medicine, No. 455 Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Shanghai 200030, China; 2Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia; 3Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, Taringa, Queensland, Australia; 4Department of Laboratory Medicine, General Hospital of Ji’nan Military Region, Ji’nan 250031, China

Correspondence to: Zhi-De Hu, PhD, MD. Department of Laboratory Medicine, General Hospital of Ji’nan Military Region, Ji’nan 250031, China. Email: hzdlj81@163.com.

Abstract: As staffs in clinical laboratories are not routinely involved in the management of patients, it is difficult for them to perform researches designed to explore the clinical utility of laboratory tests. Using publicly accessible clinical databases for clinical research represents an alternative way of performing studies investigating the clinical aspects of laboratory tests. Here, we introduced a freely accessible critical care database named Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care II (MIMIC-II). This database contains the results of many laboratory tests and thus can be used to perform laboratory medicine research. The steps to access this database were indicated, and the structure of this database was introduced. Some tips in using this database were shared.

Keywords: Laboratory medicine; database; critical care; clinical research

Received: 29 March 2017; Accepted: 06 June 2017; Published: 20 June 2017.

doi: 10.21037/jlpm.2017.06.06

Laboratory medicine research usually focuses on the analytical and clinical aspects of laboratory tests. The analytical aspect of laboratory medicine research includes the following areas: (I) establishment of novel, inexpensive, easily quantified, rapid and reliable assays for laboratory tests; (II) assessment of the performance of an analytical method (e.g., precision, limit of detection, linearity, accuracy, quality control); (III) analytical and pre-analytical errors impacting on the interpretation of a test. The clinical aspect of laboratory medicine research is usually focused on the clinical significance of laboratory tests, including their utility in disease diagnosis, prognosis or disease severity/activity estimation, risk stratification, and treatment monitoring. A critical step in the clinical aspect of laboratory medicine research is data collection, either prospectively or retrospectively. However, staffs in clinical laboratories are not routinely involved in the management of patients, and this situation makes it difficult for them to perform research designed to explore the clinical utility of laboratory tests. During past years, the authors have performed some clinical research  in laboratory medicine using the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care II (MIMIC-II), a freely accessible critical care database. The aim of this paper is to describe this database, and share our experiences using it in laboratory medicine research.

Read More>>