01
Where it fits and where it does not
Use these four checks before committing implementation time.
- Use it when
- Analyses that must run consistently across PCORnet partners while each institution retains operational control of local data.
- Limits
- The CDM deliberately preserves source values and does not itself impose all plausibility or consistency edits; ETL fidelity and study-specific fitness remain separate gates.
- Best for
- Real-world evidence and Clinical teams working across Harmonize → Learn + reuse.
- Maturity
- EstablishedSuitable for production assessment. Pin the exact release and any implementation profile.
02
See it in the workflow
This view shows the input, the change the standard introduces, and the resulting output.
- InputWhat starts
Real-world evidence and Clinical source data, metadata, and local mappings
- PCORnet CDMWhat changes
Use PCORnet CDM as a pinned data model / schema across Harmonize → Learn + reuse
- OutputWhat becomes possible
A handoff the next system or team can validate against the same release
03
A concrete example
Each partner transforms local sources into v7.0, runs the current PCORnet data checks, and executes a shared query without pooling patient-level data centrally.
Why it matters: A common multi-site feature surface helps reproducibility, but site heterogeneity, missingness, refresh timing, label construction, and distributed-learning governance remain material.
04
What it fits with
Uses controlled code systems including LOINC and medication vocabularies; it is an alternative network contract to OMOP and Sentinel, not a drop-in equivalent.
- Data model / schemaOMOP CDM
Both support Real-world evidence and Clinical work and meet around Harmonize, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship - TerminologyLOINC
Both support Clinical and Real-world evidence work and meet around Harmonize, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship - TerminologySNOMED CT
Both support Clinical and Real-world evidence work and meet around Harmonize, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship - Governance frameworkICH E6(R3)
Both support Clinical and Real-world evidence work and meet around Harmonize, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship
05
Implementation starter
Start with one bounded handoff. Pin, test, and review it before scaling.
Define one handoff, its accountable owner, and the decision PCORnet CDM must support.
Pin the exact version and companion artifacts: v7.0 · 2025-05-01; Data Checks v20 · July 2026.
Map one representative input to the required data model / schema artifacts.
Test the result against the canonical source and record every exception.
Preserve the source data, mappings, and review evidence before scaling.
06
Test the main limitation
The CDM deliberately preserves source values and does not itself impose all plausibility or consistency edits; ETL fidelity and study-specific fitness remain separate gates.
Run one representative end-to-end pilot and record exactly where PCORnet CDM loses context, needs an extension, or depends on another standard.
Machine-readable output may still be unfit for analysis or ML.
Test the output for missing context, provenance, terminology alignment, time leakage, and the intended downstream decision. A common multi-site feature surface helps reproducibility, but site heterogeneity, missingness, refresh timing, label construction, and distributed-learning governance remain material.
07
Official resources
Specifications, diagrams, examples, and guides from the organizations that maintain them.
PCORnet CDM specification and checks
Official publisher or steward guidance for this data model / schema profile.
- Publisher
- PCORnet Network Partners