Integrating clinical research into electronic health record workflows to support a learning health system

Objective Integrating clinical research into routine clinical care workflows within electronic health record systems (EHRs) can be challenging, expensive, and labor-intensive. This case study presents a large-scale clinical research project conducted entirely within a commercial EHR during the COVID-19 pandemic.Case Report The UCSD and UCSDH COVID-19 NeutraliZing Antibody Project (ZAP) aimed to evaluate antibody levels to SARS-CoV-2 virus in a large population at an academic medical center and examine the association between antibody levels and subsequent infection diagnosis.Results The project rapidly and successfully enrolled and consented over 2000 participants, integrating the research trial with standing COVID-19 testing operations, staff, lab, and mobile applications. EHR-integration increased enrollment, ease of scheduling, survey distribution, and return of research results at a low cost by utilizing existing resources.Conclusion The case study highlights the potential benefits of EHR-integrated clinical research, expanding their reach across multiple health systems and facilitating rapid learning during a global health crisis. This innovative project conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic integrated clinical research directly into the electronic health record system (EHR) at an academic medical center. The project aimed to understand the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 virus antibody levels and the risk of infection. Over 2000 participants were recruited and tested by seamlessly integrating the research with existing COVID-19 testing operations, staff, lab, and mobile apps. By utilizing existing infrastructure, this project demonstrated the potential of EHR-integrated clinical research at a learning healthcare system.