Advocate Health is excited to announce the adoption of Epic Cosmos, a groundbreaking, shared database of de-identified electronic health record (EHR) data provided by Epic Systems. This move marks a significant step forward in our commitment to supporting cutting-edge medical research and advancing patient care across our organization.
Epic Cosmos: Scale & Benefits
Epic Cosmos brings together clinical data from millions of patients, creating a secure and privacy-protected environment for research. The platform integrates a wide range of data—including diagnoses, medications, laboratory results, and social determinants of health—allowing researchers to address complex clinical questions and support clinical trials. With access to over 300 million patient records and 18.3 billion patient encounters, Cosmos accelerates scientific discovery and enables new insights that can translate directly into improved health outcomes.
Researchers have the option to access Cosmos at no cost, enabling independent exploration and analysis of this extensive dataset. To find out more about becoming a Cosmos User please visit this resource.
DIVE Team Services: Comprehensive Access for Researchers
The Data, Integration, Visualization, and Evaluation (DIVE) team, which includes the CTSI Office of Informatics, is now offering Cosmos services to the research community. Researchers can leverage Cosmos services in two ways.
Data Architects: DIVE Cosmos Data Architects are available across all enterprise divisions. These experts have advanced access to the Cosmos platform and possess the programming skills necessary to conduct complex research and analytics queries. They are available to assist with sophisticated projects and help unlock the full potential of Cosmos’s integrated data resources. Programming and data analysis are done entirely within the Cosmos environment. This is offered under theInformatics Data Programming Service Line in the Hourly Pricing Grid.
SuperUsers: Trained SuperUsers, also available across all enterprise divisions, are able to run both simple and complex queries in Cosmos, similar to DIVE’s cohort building and feasibility table offerings. This is performed in Cosmos’s SlicerDicer interface and is offered under theInformatics Data Coordinator Service Line in the Hourly Pricing Grid.
Conclusion: A New Era for the Research Community
To learn more about what Cosmos is capable of please watch this DIVE-In presentation which gives an overview of both the SuperUser and Data Architect roles. Advocate’s transition to Epic Cosmos opens new pathways for innovation, collaboration, and discovery. By empowering our research community with secure access to one of the world’s largest collections of de-identified health data, we are poised to accelerate breakthroughs that will shape the future of patient care. We invite all healthcare researchers and staff to explore the possibilities offered by Cosmos and toconnect with the DIVE team for expanded utilization of this powerful tool.