i2b2 (Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside) is an NIH-funded National Center for Biomedical Computing based at Partners HealthCare System. i2b2 was developed as a scalable informatics framework designed for translational research. i2b2 was designed primarily for cohort identification, allowing users to perform an enterprise-wide search on a de-identified repository of health information to determine the existence of a set of patients meeting certain inclusion or exclusion criteria.

Authorized CCTS i2b2 users can access the system to obtain:

• summary data sets (useful for finding aggregate population characteristics or for estimating the number of patients at UAB who might be eligible as subjects for a planned clinical study)
• detailed data sets (useful for enrolling subjects in a study or to explore research questions using retrospective data)

i2b2 Training

CCTS offers hands-on classroom training in i2b2. For those researchers who prefer the flexibility of learning online and/or who wish to refresh their i2b2 knowledge, CCTS offers i2b2 training videos. Both in-person and video trainings review the i2b2 application, how to log in, available types of data, vocabulary and terminology, and how to query.

Users may also access reference materials to learn more: the i2b2 manual and an i2b2 FAQ.

i2b2 Access

Researchers and study teams interested in querying data via i2b2 must request access. Users are required to have up-to-date HIPAA and IRB Human Subjects Protection training. 

How to Request i2b2 Access:

1. Complete the Access Request Form
   • For Non-Faculty (e.g., trainees, staff, students), supervisor approval is required. Follow the instructions in the request process for emailing supervisor approval to the i2b2 team.
2. Learning Management System:
   
   • Log-on to the UAB Learning Management System
   • Search the catalog for “i2b2” or “limited data sets” and take the “course” entitled “Acknowledgement of Restrictions on the Use of Limited Data Sets”, enroll, read and acknowledge the “LDS Terms and Condition”.
   • This must be completed once a year.
   • Wait until the next day for completion information to reach i2b2 (records are updated nightly)
   • HIPAA and IRB - Human Subjects Protection training are also required
3. Log-on to i2b2
4. Execute a query to obtain a patient data set
5. Provide project details
6. Download patient data set details
7. Request additional data from CCTS Clinical Informatics