PreparingSARS-CoV-2testingdataforreuserequiresmakingthedatasyntacticallyandsemanticallyequivalent. Standardization of terminologies and a common data model accomplish the former, while the latter is accomplished through understanding the data and making it comparable across RADx-rad awardees by benchmarkingagainstknowngoldstandards.Thestandardizationofsamplesisasimportantasstandardizing thedata,particularlyinthehighlyinnovativeRADx-radprogram,wherenewtechnologieswillbedevelopedor optimizedfordeploymentinvarioussettings.HighlymotivatedRADx-radawardeeswillreceiveadviceonhow theirdiagnosticscomparetoFDA-approvedones,witheachother,howtheirdiagnosticperformsinindependent testing, as wellashow toensure the tests areusable in real world settings. In collaboration with University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, University of CaliforniaSan Diego researchers in informatics/data scienceandinfectiousdiseaseswithampleexperienceinleadinglargeconsortiahavedesignedauniqueRADx- rad Consortium Data and Coordination Center (radCDCC). This center is based on three pillars: (1) effective administrationandcoordinationamongawardees,NIH,andotherprograms;?(2)innovativeapproachesandtools to collect and standardize data and metadata to promote findability, accessibility, interoperability and reuse (FAIR) for data sharing;? and (3) principled preparation of standardized samples with known quantities of viral loads,andstandardizedproceduresfortestingnewdiagnosticstoallowcomparisonacrosstestsandcalibration of new technologies. Backed by sophisticated HIPAA-compliant cloud services, user friendly web-tools, and extensive support from UCSD?s facilities for computationand for clinical research, the radCDCCwill interface withotherRADxprogramsandotherCOVID-19focusedprogramsatNIHtoensurealignmentofawardees,NIH andthepublicinthepursuitofeffective,affordable,anddeployablenewtechnologiesfortesting.
The RADx-rad Consortium Data and Coordination Center (radCDCC) will use advanceddata management to coordinate a consortium of innovative COVID-19 diagnostic technology developers. The partnership between the University of California San Diego and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston brings togetherinformatics/datascientistsandinfectiousdiseasesspecialistswhowillstandardizeviralsamples,testing andprocedures,aswellasdatainordertointegrateandsharedatainameaningfulmanner.
