Cross-Network Directory Service: Infrastructure to enable collaborations across distributed research networks

Introduction Existing large-scale distributed health data networks are disconnected even as they address related questions of healthcare research and public policy. This paper describes the design and implementation of a fully functional prototype open-source tool, the Cross-Network Directory Service (CNDS), which addresses much of what keeps distributed networks disconnected from each other. Methods The set of services needed to implement a Cross-Directory Service was identified through engagement with stakeholders and workgroup members. CNDS was implemented using PCORnet and Sentinel network instances and tested by participating data partners. Results Web services that enable the four major functional features of the service (registration, discovery, communication, and governance) were developed and placed into an open-source repository. The services include a robust metadata model that is extensible to accommodate a virtually unlimited inventory of metadata fields, without requiring any further software development. The user interfaces are programmatically generated based on the contents of the metadata model. Conclusion The CNDS pilot project gathered functional requirements from stakeholders and collaborating partners to build a software application to enable cross-network data and resource sharing. The two partners-one from Sentinel and one from PCORnet-tested the software. They successfully entered metadata about their organizations and data sources and then used the Discovery and Communication functionality to find data sources of interest and send a cross-network query. The CNDS software can help integrate disparate health data networks by providing a mechanism for data partners to participate in multiple networks, share resources, and seamlessly send queries across those networks.