Sharing and Reusing Computable Phenotype Definitions

BACKGROUND: A scalable approach for the sharing and reuse of human-readable and computer-executable phenotype definitions can facilitate the reuse of electronic health records for cohort identification and research studies. DESCRIPTION: We developed a tool called Sharephe for the Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) platform. Sharephe consists of a plugin for i2b2 and a cloud-based searchable repository of computable phenotypes, has the functionality to import to and export from the repository, and has the ability to link to supporting metadata. DISCUSSION: The i2b2 platform enables researchers to create, evaluate, and implement phenotypes without knowing complex query languages. In an initial evaluation, two sites on the Evolve to Next-Gen ACT (ENACT) network used Sharephe to successfully create, share, and reuse phenotypes. CONCLUSION: The combination of a cloud-based computable repository and an i2b2 plugin for accessing the repository enables investigators to store and retrieve phenotypes from anywhere and at any time and to collaborate across sites in a research network.