Digital Research Toolkit

Lurie Children's Clinical and Operation Tools

These tools are part of or integrated with Epic, Lurie Children’s electronic health record (EHR). EHR tools can be convenient for research involving Lurie Children's patients. The EHR is a medical-legal system of record, and as such is subject to enhanced oversight from the IRB, Compliance, IM, and other groups.   

Organizational Owner: Lurie Children's Digital Health Team

HIPAA Compliant: ✔   |   Part 11 Compliant: ✖

Description/Function

Artera, formerly known as Well Health, is a HIPAA-compliant communication platform for healthcare providers focusing on patient engagement, communication, and workflow automation. In research, Artera can be used for engagement by way of two-way SMS text messaging including the below functionalities:  

  • Sending survey links  
  • Data collection
  • Logistical Coordination   

Additional features:

  • Research teams can use the app to send messages, updates, and reminders to study participants about appointments, surveys, or follow-up tasks.
  • The app can be used to collect patient-reported outcomes, feedback, or other data directly from participants through secure, easy-to-use channels.

Limitations or Considerations

  • Both study staff and principal investigators can utilize this feature.  
  • A Lurie Children's phone extension must be attached to the account, and should belong to someone on the study, or be a research specific number.  
  • Only one Artera line (Lurie Children's phone extension) can be “in use” per study, with exceptions made on a case-by-case basis. Typically, if study teams would like to use Artera for multiple studies, they will need to activate a new line for each study.
  • The phone number used for texting must be live and monitored to ensure smooth communication with participants in case the line is called.  
  • Texting can be approved to be bidirectional through Artera and customized survey links can be sent out through Artera, provided that the patient quantity is not too large.  
  • Utilizing Artera for recruitment texting is based on the individual patient’s consent to treat that is in their clinical file. Research teams can access this document through the patient’s documents section in Epic. If this document is not signed, they may not be contacted through Artera. 
  • Automated text messages can be scheduled to automatically be sent out following a scheduled outpatient (ambulatory or clinic) visit that exists in Epic. Artera does not allow for messages to be automatically sent out based on the date of enrollment in a research study, or based on the date of an Emergency Department Visit.

How to Obtain Access

To utilize Artera, email Alex Herrera, an Application Analyst. Staff members need to have a Lurie Children’s phone extension to get started. In your request email, include the IRB number, a brief overview of the study, and your rationale for using Artera as listed in your protocol. Activation of an Artera phone line may take between 2-4 weeks.  

Cost

Free to Lurie Children’s staff. When onboarding, volumes will be discussed. There is a 2 cents per message segment (160 characters) fee to send. Once a study is sending thousands of messages there would likely be a need to charge back to the study.  

Resources

Protocol Considerations

Text messaging as a form of first contact with participants must be justified for the research population, as it is considered cold calling.  

Additionally, the plan for for any messages to be sent to participants must be outlined in your IRB application including what information will be included in the messages, how often messaging will be used, the times of day messaging may occur, etc.

Example protocol language when considering utilizing text messages to communicate with participants:  

“Text messages will be sent by research coordinators using Artera, a text messaging application integrated with the hospital’s EHR and approved for research use.”

Example text to submit to IRB for review:  

“You are receiving this text message as a follow-up to your enrollment in the ________ study at Lurie Children’s Hospital. Please click the link below to fill out your week 1 survey.” The previous message will be sent to participants one week following their completion of enrollment in the study and will be scheduled to send at 2:00 pm.”

Organizational Owner: Clincial Research Informatics (in collaboration with OCCT and Digital Health)

HIPAA Compliant: ✔  |   Part 11 Compliant: N/A

Description/Function

MyChart is connected to active clinical environments within Epic, so use requires additional approvals to ensure the privacy and safety of patients' medical data throughout participation in a study. It is worth noting that MyChart recruitment requires active enrollment by families, and not all patient-families at Lurie Children’s may be enrolled in MyChart. All patients of Lurie Children’s are eligible to sign up for MyChart. You can help enroll patients into MyChart for your research project.

Information in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) can be used to identify eligible Lurie Children’s patients even if they are not actively enrolled in MyChart.
 
An OPA is a useful Epic tool that may be employed for study recruitment. A silent OPA can be sent to a pre-determined list of research study team members as an in-basket message in Epic when a patient meets certain criteria for participation in a study.  

Limitations or Considerations

General principles when recruiting Lurie Children’s patients for research through the electronic health record:  

  • Ensure that MyChart recruitment messaging does not target or involve protected participant populations and/or use of sensitive information. The Electronic Health Record (EHR) Research Recruitment Advisory Committee can confirm appropriateness of MyChart recruitment for your study population.  
    • Consider if there is any possible overlap with existing studies and if the participant may end up receiving multiple or confusing messages through one platform.
    • Limit the number of messages sent to each patient. 
  • Respect a patient’s choice not to be contacted. 
    • Some families may have a “do not contact / opt out of research” designation turned on in MyChart.

How to Obtain Access

See the linked Tip Sheet below and complete the MyChart Recruitment Service request.

Cost

Potentially free for Lurie Children’s researchers; costs may relate to reporting needs. Submit a Quantitative Science Service Request form to the Clinical Research Informatics team to discuss the scope of your project and to determine any associated costs.  

Resources

Please reference the following tip sheets for guidance:

The Electronic Health Record (EHR) Research Recruitment Advisory Committee provides study teams and PIs with research recruitment suggestions and guidance. Please email OCCT@luriechildrens.org with questions.  

The Epic Research page is where you will find all the most up to date training materials, tip sheets and digital content for Epic research.  

Protocol Considerations

MyChart recruitment must be included in your IRB application. Please be sure your recruitment message follows the required wording in Appendix A of the Using Epic to Recruit for Research (PDF) tip sheet. 

Additionally, the plan for any messages to be sent to participants must be outlined in your IRB application including what information will be included in the messages, how often messaging will be used, the times of day messaging may occur, etc. 

Organizational Owner: Clinical Research Informatics (in collaboration with OCCT and Digital Health) 

HIPAA Compliant: ✔   |   Part 11 Compliant: N/A

Description/Function

There are a variety of features associated with MyChart that may be utilized for research upon review via a Quantitative Science Clinical Research Informatics consultation. Examples of these features include:

  • MyChart Care Companion allows scheduled tasks to be sent to the participants at specified intervals.
    • Task types include education (pdfs, documents, text), questionnaires, and patient-entered flowsheet data (manual entry and/or via a connected device).
    • Tasks may be sent manually or can be scheduled and sent out automatically.
    • Tasks can be customized regarding timing, duration, and frequency if recurring.
  • Health data integration allows patients to share real-time health and fitness data from Apple HealthKit, Google Fit, or Google Health Connect directly with their MyChart account.  
    • This can provide clinical researchers with passive, continuous data collection from participant’s wearable devices and mobile health apps. Data types include physical activity, heart rate, sleep patterns, and other health indicators such as weight, glucose levels, pulse ox, and blood pressure.  

Limitations or Considerations

Requests for research-specific uses of MyChart may require approvals from the IRB, EHR committee, HIM, or others.

Please email OCCT with questions and to connect with the EHR Committee who may direct you to the IRB or HIM teams after consultation.  

How to Obtain Access

Requests for new research-related MyChart builds should go through the Quantitative Science Service Request form. 

Cost

Consultation is free. Assistance with design and development for your grant is also free provided that the Clinical Research Informatics team is budgeted in the final research proposal to cover any build, implementation, and other related project management costs for the project. 

Resources

If you plan to use MyChart for activities beyond study recruitment, complete a Quantitative Science Service Request.
 
For further information on health data integration please visit Support Apple HealthKit, Google Fit, or Google Health Connect for MyChart Mobile.

Protocol Considerations

Additionally, the plan for any messages to be sent to participants must be outlined in your IRB application including what information will be included in the messages, how often messaging will be used, the times of day messaging may occur, etc