Integrating Clinical Data and Medical Imaging in Lung Cancer: A Feasibility Study Using the OMOP Common Data Model Extension (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Digital transformation, particularly the integration of medical imaging with clinical data, is vital in personalized medicine. The Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM) standardizes health data. However, integrating medical imaging remains a challenge. OBJECTIVE This study proposes a method for combining medical imaging data with the OMOP CDM to improve multimodal research. METHODS Our approach included the analysis and selection of digital imaging and communications in medicine header tags, validation of data formats, and alignment according to the OMOP CDM framework. The Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources ImagingStudy profile guided our consistency in column naming and definitions. Imaging Common Data Model (I-CDM), constructed using the entity-attribute-value model, facilitates scalable and efficient medical imaging data management. For patients with lung cancer diagnosed between 2010 and 2017, we introduced 4 new tables—IMAGINGSTUDY, IMAGINGSERIES, IMAGINGANNOTATION, and FILEPATH—to standardize various imaging-related data and link to clinical data. RESULTS This framework underscores the effectiveness of I-CDM in enhancing our understanding of lung cancer diagnostics and treatment strategies. The implementation of the I-CDM tables enabled the structured organization of a comprehensive data set, including 282, 098 IMAGINGSTUDY, 5, 674, 425 IMAGINGSERIES, and 48, 536 IMAGINGANNOTATION records, illustrating the extensive scope and depth of the approach. A scenario-based analysis using actual data from patients with lung cancer underscored the feasibility of our approach. A data quality check applying 44 specific rules confirmed the high integrity of the constructed data set, with all checks successfully passed, underscoring the reliability of our findings. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that I-CDM can improve the integration and analysis of medical imaging and clinical data. By addressing the challenges in data standardization and management, our approach contributes toward enhancing diagnostics and treatment strategies. Future research should expand the application of I-CDM to diverse disease populations and explore its wide-ranging utility for medical conditions.