University of California Research eXchange (UC-ReX)
The UC Research eXchange (UC ReX) and the UC ReX Data Explorer tool was initiated by UC BRAID in 2011 with a 5-year grant of $5 Million from the UC Office of the President (UCOP) and developed through a collaboration of the medical campuses and their Chief Information Officers and CTSAs. This groundbreaking system enabled exploration of a combined population of over 14 Million patients from medical center databases at UC Los Angeles, UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC San Diego, and UC San Francisco. UC ReX gave researchers and quality specialists access to de-identified clinical data collected at the point of care to improve medical care and advance research.
After six years of service, thousands of queries, and a dataset of over 14 million patients, the UC ReX Data Explorer was taken offline on July 1st, 2019, having laid the groundwork for national platforms. This step was taken in preparation for the adoption of a new national data sharing platform, the ACT (Accrual to Clinical Trials) Network, which went live for UC investigators on July 31st. UC ReX laid the groundwork for national platforms.
The ACT Network is a real-time platform allowing researchers to explore and validate feasibility for clinical studies across the NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) consortium from their desktops. ACT helps researchers design and complete clinical studies, and is both secure and HIPAA-compliant.
UC ReX Data Explorer Overview